Falling Inside The Black
by Luvejy
Summary: Several years after Eden, Sven and Eve catch their new bounty, only to find Train, alone and fallen from grace. What exactly happened to him, and will Eve be able to make him see just what he lives for? Train x Eve, rated for lemon in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Falling Inside The Black

Romance/Angst

Pairing: Train x Eve

Setting: About 10 years after the Eden incident.

Summary: After 10 long years, Eve is finally considering herself a professional Sweeper. But then her life takes a drastic turn when she runs into Train, who is in terrible condition, inside and out. Just what happened? And can Eve save Train from the darkness inside his heart?

Warning: Ok, this will contain dark themes, mentions of suicide, maybe some violence if I ever feel like it, and a lemon in later chapters. Also, LOADS OF ANGST! I mean bucket full's!

BTW: KyoxSakiFan wrote this again. You gotta love Luvejy for posting these for me, otherwise you wouldn't be able to read them due to the rated M rating…(I can't post those on my account) -Huggles Luvejy-

Chapter 1

It was dark.

That was the first thing that ran through his groggy mind as he slowly awakened from his artificial sleep. His breathing came out in short, labored gasps, for he was unable to muster the strength to take the deep breath of life his body desperately needed.

He could feel the drugs running through his veins, feeding his life force like blood, although slowly sucking the life from him at the same time. He was bound firmly to a brick wall; the only thing holding him upright was the strong, chain-like bounds that had been placed on his wrists and legs.

After his once sharp golden eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the form of the electric machine beneath him, and despite himself, a stab of fear pierced his heart. His body still bore the dried blood from a few hours before, his previous wounds obviously infected and painful.

He dared not move a muscle, for any form of movement could set off the machine once more, and he knew his body could not survive much more of that torture. As it was, the internal damage had already been done. His heart would skip a beat every few hours, proof of his physical struggle which had rendered him completely helpless.

He couldn't help but wonder just WHAT he'd done to himself. He used to be so strong, so rebellious and adventurous.

So free.

He was the BLACK CAT. The famous gunman, known for his killer instincts and deadly shots using his remarkable gun Hades.

And yet, somehow, the stray cat had been broken. His blood covered other's hands, and sometimes it felt like his will to live had been stripped from him completely. As it was, the only way he was even alive was out of sheer will; somehow he knew he wasn't supposed to give in yet.

"Ah, what do we have here? The monster's awake!"

His entire body stiffened, fear radiating off of every cell in his being. Despite his efforts to conceal himself, his awareness had been noticed.

'_Shit…' _He'd wanted to curse out loud, but sometime during the night his voice had apparently left him, leaving him completely mute. Unable to defend himself, or even speak, he was rendered helpless as the pudgy man approached him from the sliding doors he'd entered through, stopping to turn on the lights.

His location was revealed to be a damp, and previously abandoned basement. The man chuckled, running a hand through his greasy hair. "Are you afraid Train?"

Train didn't even bother glancing at the bastard, focusing his eyes down to his feet. It was the same man every time, and the same torture device. The man smirked, and Train immediately began to prepare himself for what was to come.

The man pressed a button on a remote he'd conjured out of his pocket, and Train's voice came back to him all at once as a pained scream erupted from his sore and bleeding throat. The electricity rushed through his week body, shocking him deep down to the core, which caused his heart to skip several beats in unison.

For a second, Train thought for sure he was going to die, if he wasn't already. His heart had skipped far too many times to be healthy, and he felt as if his soul was leaving his body (Which in reality was just his consciousness leaving him). With a rippling shudder, Train's body went entirely limp against the cold bricks.

"I think he's learned his lesson sir. Let's dump him off somewhere and run for it, the cops are sure to be on our tail by now." The man who spoke had walked through the door just in time to witness Train's humiliation, his eyes stony and cold.

"Fine. Have the men drop him off in a nearby alleyway and we'll get out of here. Don't forget the money."

Several hours later found Train, still unconscious and barely breathing, lying in the middle of an alley as the rain poured down upon his weak form. The water carried the blood pouring from his newly opened wounds down the cobblestone, meaning he was slowly bleeding to death. If he'd been awake, his eyes would have been dull and lifeless, the hope and fight completely drained out of them.

…………………..

"Well, that wasn't overly difficult. Eve, how much did the wanted poster say they were worth?" Sven grinned proudly down at the two crooks, one cowering against the cobblestone while the other was sneering hatefully up at him.

"Almost three million yen." Eve confirmed, her eyes drifting over their forms once more. There wasn't anything special about them, so she found herself wondering how they managed to get such a reward on their heads. It just didn't seem at all logical to offer such a reward for these pitiful criminals.

"Three million…" Sven muttered, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Eve's face scrunched up in distaste. Despite being used to Sven's terrible habit, she still hated it with a passion, especially after she took health in the school she'd been enrolled into. "Well, let's bring them in. We can catch their lackey's later."

The younger man muttered something under his breath to the other, earning himself a heavy glare. "Shut your mouth boy! That bastard has nothing to do with this!"

"That's not true! It's because you sent the boys to deal with him that we were still around when the sweepers arrived! This is all YOUR fault!"

"You dolt!" He probably would've had his massive hands wrapped around Jim's throat in an instant if not for the rope that was tied around his hands. "Damnit, I'll kill you!"

Jim looked genuinely frightened, meaning he obviously took his threat seriously. For a split second, Eve felt slightly sorry for the boy. He'd probably been sucked into this against his will, but she knew it wasn't their place to determine their sentence.

In a matter of seconds, Sven had yanked the ignorant man up by his shirt collar, his eyes flashing with anger. "You had a captive!? Where is he?"

When the man refused to answer, Sven's grip only tightened, until the other boy spoke up. "We…Uh…Dumped him in an alley nearby sir." He glanced at his boss, knowing that if allowed to, he would've been dead by then.

Sven dropped the man to the ground. "Eve!" Said girl turned her attention to her adoptive father. "I want you to look for that man while I take these two in."

"But Sven, shouldn't I take them with me? They might be able to give us a direction location!"

"No. They obviously aren't going to cooperate with us, it'll be safer the sooner I get them behind bars. Besides, you're more than capable of handling this by yourself." Eve allowed a small smile to grace her face, glowing with pride at Sven's praise. It was something she'd come to thrive upon, kept her moving in even the most difficult situations. In a way, Sven always had that effect on her. Despite that she'd tried to kill him before, he'd wanted to save her anyway. He wanted to show her that she WAS human, and not the demon Torneo had brought her up to be. In a sense, he was her savior.

And Train…

Eve's mind raced as the familiar sensation raked her body and a pair of white, fluffy wings sprouted from her back, fueled by the nano technology that coursed through her veins. As she took to the air, she allowed her thoughts to drift to the honey eyed boy.

Train hadn't been seen since the incident with Eden, where he'd undeniably saved her life. She hadn't even had a chance to thank him for everything he'd done, before he packed his stuff and left. The thought still stung a little, and she'd always told herself it was because he'd wounded her pride that day. She'd appointed him her rival after all, and to be saved by ones rival was the ultimate disgrace. It wasn't as if she'd actually MISSED him or anything, or at least that's what she'd been telling herself for almost ten years.

'_I wonder if we'll ever see him again…' _Despite her resolve to concentrate on her job, she allowed her thoughts to wander. _'Okay…Maybe I DO miss him a little…' _In a way, it seemed that Train had become the glue that held them all together. After all, if it weren't for Train, half of them probably wouldn't be standing here, alive and well.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the thick scent of blood and death, which was strong enough to almost knock her from the air. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hands, a few coughs raking her body. _'I…I smell…Blood.'_

The words echoed throughout her mind, as if taunting her. It was reminding her of her bloody past, of the time when she spoke those words before making a kill. It had been about twelve years before, but the memories still managed to haunt her dreams. Even though she'd forgiven herself for all the people she'd killed, there were some days where she couldn't help but reflect on her past.

Her blade slicing through Sven's stomach, the abusive relationship she'd shared with Torneo…

Fighting Train in the courtyard…

Unconsciously allowing her speed to increase a bit, Eve landed on the cold round, noting with unease that it'd already grown quite dark outside. It was no doubt around nine or so, meaning it would grow increasingly difficult to find the captive.

Taking a deep breath, Eve followed the scent of blood, hoping that it would eventually lead her to the man, like it had done several years before when she saved Train from the flames of the exploding tanker.

After walking along the silent street for a few minutes, she heard a light splash beneath her feet. Confused, she glanced down, only to gasp outloud when she realized what she'd stepped in.

She was standing in a large trail of blood, obviously having been carried there from somewhere nearby. Swallowing the fear that was settling within her gut, Eve began to follow the trail of crimson liquid, stopping outside what she assumed was the alley she'd been searching for the past few hours.

Stomping down the fear, she glanced around the corner.

He was lying in a pool of blood, eyes closed in a deep sleep, the one that everyone feared. His body was terribly skinny (He'd obviously not been fed for a while now), and his clothes were ripped everywhere, having been torn from the force of the electricity. Hades lie a few feet away, glinting in the moonlight.

Eve gasped, running to his side in a matter of seconds. _'No! It can't be!'_

**AN: Alright, cliff hanger. Sorry, but since you already know who it is…XD Don't worry, after I update my other stories I will make sure to start the second chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat in any way, shape, or form. I am merely typing this story for the amusement of myself and my dedicated readers.

AN: First off, I would like to thank my reviewers.

MeiunTenshi - Thank you very much for reviewing! I'm glad that you liked it so much! :3 I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you.

SmartaLECs - Don't worry, the lemon won't be for a while now. XD I'll try to remember to put a warning on the top of the page when I get to it though. It's just, I've recently gained the freedom to write lemons and post them, so I've been taking advantage of it. A lot. I'm glad that you find it somewhat interesting though, and I'd like to take a moment to assure you that the lemon is not the main focus of the story, the romance between Train and Eve is. :3

Nice0girl - I'm glad you liked it! :D Thanks for your review and favoriting! It means a lot!

TrainHeartnetXIII - Once again, thank you for reviewing! 8D I'm ecstatic, one of my favorite authors! I don't remember if I subscribed to you or not…I'll check that out later, because I definitely meant too.

Thank you all! :D Seeing reviews on pieces I've written makes me so ecstatic; it makes me feel appreciated. I hope you all like this chapter!

Chapter 2

Everything was deadly silent, for the only sound that could be heard in the cold hospital room was the soft rhythm of the heart monitor. Every once in a while, a pained, raspy breath could be heard from the current occupant of the bed.

Train's chest had been heavily bandaged, however, it was clear that it would take several weeks for the wounds to heal even the smallest bit. Even with the bandages wrapped tightly around his pale skin, blood still gushed through the material, meaning the doctors would have to change them again soon.

The only other occupants of the room were Sven and Eve, their eyes focused solely on their friend, who was lying on his death bed.

"Those bastards will PAY. I'll make them pay somehow, I swear it." Sven vowed, automatically diverting his eyes from the tubes and oxygen mask that was breathing life into his best friend. His face held a look of thunderous anger, and he didn't even bother to try and hide it. "How could they do this to Train!?"

Eve's thoughts happened to be on an entirely different path, although she firmly agreed with Sven. After several hours of walking, she'd eventually managed to arrive at the hospital at the break of dawn. Train, who'd been unconscious throughout most of the trip, had became almost deathly pale by the time she'd pushed through the swinging doors. Even now her body still ached with exhaustion, for she'd found herself unable to sleep despite Sven's efforts to calm her mind enough to drift into a restless slumber. As it was, the current time was around noon, meaning she would probably pass out soon if she stayed awake for much longer.

'_How did this happen? He's not the type at all to be kidnapped and held hostage, let alone taken advantage of.' _Eve thought warily, her eyes wandering hesitantly over Train's unconscious figure. In fact, if he wasn't lying before her, she wouldn't have believed it. To her, Train always seemed to signal something invincible, untamable.

UNBREAKABLE.

Yet, here he was.

Despite her resolve to push the thoughts to the back of her head, the memories of the night before came washing back to her.

"_Train!" It was as if every scrap of common sense she'd previously possessed had simply left her, slipped out of her breath like the carbon dioxide in her body. For the first time in her life, she felt an all consuming fear clouding her vision. It was reeling her in like a fishing rod; choking her with its unpredictable shadows. It was simply untouchable, much like the man that lie bleeding before her._

_Doing her best to ignore the blood that splashed upward onto her expensive blue dress, Eve sprinted across the cobblestone, not stopping until she was kneeling beside the broken cat. "Train!" She called, pulling his head gently into her lap._

_He didn't respond._

_Swallowing the fear that was beginning to choke her once again, Eve hurriedly checked his pulse, sighing in relief when she found the faint tempo. However, she knew it wasn't time to relax just yet. Although the pulse was audible, it had been barely discernible from the numb feeling that spread throughout her fingertips. "God Train…What have you gotten into herself this time?"_

_Of all the things she'd imagined their reunion to be like, the thought had never crossed her mind that it'd be something like this. It had always been smiling faces, light-hearted teasing, and maybe even a few playful arguments. However, everything seemed like such a childish fantasy to her now that she held the real thing within her arms._

"_I have to get him to the hospital…" She murmured, almost expecting her voice to fail her. She was relieved however, when she felt the familiar vibration of her voice within her throat. It shattered the heavy silence that had fallen, dashing the forbidding atmosphere that had settled within the proximity. For the first time noticing Hades's position nearby, Eve quickly retrieved it using her hair before attempting to lift Train. _

'_**He's so light…' **__She marveled at how much weight he'd obviously lost. It had taken her barely any effort to lift Train's body onto her shoulders, proof of his terrible condition.. "Well, at least the rain stopped."_

'_**I feel so weak…' **__Her entire body felt as if it would simply collapse any moment, most likely due to her overuse of the nano machines within her bloodstream. Despite her long hours of non stop training, she still found herself unable to apply a transformation for more than an hour without feeling the effects draining her. __**'I should have known better than to over exhaust myself. '**_

_She certainly would be mentally beating herself up later, that's for sure. However, it didn't take a rocket scientist to decipher that it really wasn't the time for such actions._

"_L-Little…Princess…?"_

_Eve gasped, silently praying that she wasn't hallucinating. "Train!?"_

_A soft cough was her answer, and she forced herself to keep her composure despite the crimson liquid that leaked from Train's mouth. A small pool of blood was forming beneath them, confirming Eve's suspicions that Train was indeed bleeding internally. "Don't talk, you'll only make it worse. I'm taking you to the hospital!"_

_He managed to choke out a laugh, his voice sounding strangely forced and melancholy. "Nah Princess, I'm just fine. Do you really think those morons would be the end of me?"_

'_**You've got to be kidding!? You're half dead you stubborn bastard!'**_

_Forcing herself to keep her thoughts silent, Eve merely sighed in exasperation. "Idiot, you haven't changed one bit."_

_When she didn't get a response, Eve glanced back in alarm, relieved to find that he'd simply fallen back into unconsciousness. After taking a deep breath to calm herself (Ignoring the thick smell of blood that continuously assaulted her), Eve continued along the bumpy road, hoping that her strength wouldn't fail her._

They'd arrived hours later, and almost immediately Train had been taken into surgery. At the moment, Eve and Sven were waiting for a complete summary on Train's condition. The doctor, who'd said he'd be back in a few minutes, was at least a half an hour late. This irritated Sven dangerously, as if his anxiety wasn't off the charts by itself.

It was then that the doctor strode through the door.

Sven whirled around immediately, having been startled by the man's sudden appearance. Eve, although having flinched, did not move from her chair beside Train's bed. This didn't mean she wasn't listening however.

"I have some good news and some bad news. It seems that the surgery managed to halt the internal bleeding, which may have just saved his life." Sven let out a long sigh of relief, only to be interrupted by the doctor. "However, there is one major concern…"

"And that would be…?" Eve inquired a bit shakily, trying her best to keep her composure. Nervously, she unconsciously began playing with her long golden locks, twirling the strands around her fingers.

"His heart seems to be beating irregularly, which hints at some sort of heart damage. He seems to have suffered a great shock, probably due to an electrical charge." Noting the horrified look in Sven's eyes, the man continued. "I'm afraid we may have to perform a heart transplant if he is to survive. Otherwise, he is at high risk of having a stroke, which could be lethal."

"H-How long do you think he'll have to wait for the transplant?" Eve asked, her eyes wandering over Train's unconscious form.

"Fortunately, we happen to have a recent donor who passed away a few days ago. If the blood type matches his, we may be able to perform the transplant within the next forty eight hours."

Sven nodded thoughtfully, his fingers twitching for the cigarettes in his pocket. He hadn't been able to smoke since he'd arrived at the hospital after receiving Eve's panicked phone call, and his body was demanding a smoke. Probably due to the stress he was currently under.

For the first time in his life, Sven considered trying to quit.

"When do you think you can have the information?" He asked, glancing in Eve's direction. His adoptive daughter's rising distress was quite discernible, and he was becoming worried.

"In an hour or two if we begin the analysis now. I'll inform my assistant of the schedule change."

Sven nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes trailing after the doctor as he left the room. "Eve, I'm going to step out for a smoke. Be back in a bit."

Eve nodded softly, enough to show she'd heard him, but not forming an intelligent response. A few seconds later, the unmistakable sound of the door clicking shut could be heard.

After that, everything seemed to become deadly quiet. With Sven's departure, it seemed that all the color that had remained had been drained completely from the room, leaving the small space feeling cold and empty. Eve shivered and pulled at the fabric of her dress, trying in vein to press the fabric closer to her skin.

The whole time, she'd found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the injured man before her. It just looked so wrong to see her energetic and happy partner looking so pale and fragile in a hospital bed. It was like dropping chocolate syrup in a glass of water; it wasn't RIGHT.

"I hope you can hear me Train," Eve muttered, "You're causing a lot of trouble, so you'd better wake up soon, hear me!?"

It was the that she became aware of the tears that were slowly leaking from her crimson purple eyes, and the automatically reached to wipe them away.

"You know, I still haven't thanked you for saving my life…back then…" She murmured, realizing that she must sound like a complete idiot to anyone who could be watching, which she hoped to god nobody was. "So, thank you. I guess we're even now."

When he didn't make any sign to show he'd heard her at all, Eve sighed softly. "To think, you didn't want me to take you to a hospital…You stubborn idiot. You'll be the death of us all one day."

"Eve?" Eve glanced to her left side, surprised to see Sven standing next to her. "So he didn't move huh?"

Shaking her head in response, Eve continued to stay silent, feeling as if she'd said enough.

"We have to return to the base, visiting hours are over." Sven muttered after a few moments, as if suddenly remembering why he'd come back in. "If we don't leave soon the doctors will have a fit."

"Okay." She replied, forcing herself to act like she usually did, for she didn't want Sven knowing just how shaken up she was from the whole ordeal. Despite her many years as a professional sweeper, nothing had been able to prepare her for something like this.

"Don't worry, as long as the heart transplant comes through, Train should be all right." Eve allowed a small smile to grace her face. After all, it really was silly of her to expect Sven to ignore her distress. After all, Sven had been the one to raise her, which meant he knew her like the back of his hand. However, that didn't mean it didn't get on her nerves every once in a while.

"Thanks."

--

It HURT.

He could feel pain everywhere. It was so prominent, he'd had to bite down on his lip quite harshly to keep himself from screaming when he'd regained consciousness. After trying to move his aching limbs, he found himself to be restrained to a bed, which meant he wouldn't be able to move at all.

Resisting the urge to curse, Train slowly opened his eyes.

The room was almost pitch black, a clear indicator that it was probably around midnight or so. Absentmindedly, he found himself wondering just how long he'd been asleep. It was then that his memories from the night before flashes behind his eyes, reminding himself of his predicament.

A hoarse sigh left his throat, and he found himself yearning for a large glass of milk. It briefly occurred to him that it'd been several weeks since he'd last had a decent meal, and as if on cue his stomach growled lightly, irritated with it's lack of nourishment.

'_Eve saved me…' _He forced himself to smile, despite how much it hurt him to do so. _'I'll have to thank her later…Little Princess.'_

AN: I know, weird ending right? You're probably going all "WTF!?" over the heart transplant thing. If anyone wishes to know exactly what he has, you'd have to PM me at my account (KyoxSakiFan), because honestly, I'd probably bore you all with the technical stuff. I actually had to look up the condition, which irritated me greatly. It was worth it however.

Anyway, please drop a review and hopefully I'll update again soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat. Honestly, if I owned Black Cat, there would be a sequel containing these events. Since it obviously does not, it is clear that I am not the owner of Black Cat. (Or Train, unfortunately. I think we'd all like to own him.)

AN: Alright! So, I'm in an angst mood for no apparent reason, have been listening to the song "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan all day, and am still on my Black Cat obsession. I also feel like crap, and don't feel like messing with movie maker to make my new Train x Eve AMV to the song 'Fall To Pieces' by Avril Lavigne. So, here I am making an update for you. Within the next few chapters, you may notice a few character changes in Train. This is on purpose, for he's supposed to be more depressed. It's what this fiction is about after all! So I don't want any flames saying that Train is OOC! He's been through years of hell, he deserves the right to be OOC every once in a while!

Also, a small note. Although this takes place mostly in the anime universe, small manga scene references will be made. I hope this doesn't bother anyone.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Sven received a call from the hospital. Train's blood type matched the donors, and they would be performing the transplant immediately. However, this also meant that they would be unable to visit him for quite a while, since he would have to be closely monitored by the doctors. This was mostly due to the fact that his body might still reject the heart despite their matching blood types.

"I'm worried." Sven muttered, sitting down at the kitchen table. Eve sat across from him with her nose in a book (This wasn't anything out of the ordinary), trying to act as if she wasn't concerned. "I still wish I could beat some sense into those morons…"

"Sven…" Eve sighed, setting the book gently down on the table, it's pages still open so as to not lose her page. "I'm just as worried as you are. However, that doesn't mean you should unleash your fury on ones whose punishment has already been dealt."

Not able to deny the truth in her words, Sven smiled softly at the beautiful blonde. "I know. It's just…Natural for me to worry about him I guess."

"I understand Sven, but we need to be rational. After all, someone has to be sane enough to handle Train when he comes home."

This earned a chuckle from Sven, whose was remising upon some of their friend's most intriguing moments. He was quite an interesting character overall. One moment he was completely serious, the next he was a complete moron. Then there were times when he was almost adorable, but he could turn into a complete 'badass' within seconds. It was those times that reminded Eve the most of Train's Cronos days, when his beautiful honey eyes were sharp and narrow, killer intent clearly visible.

His eyes had been so cold the day he'd broken into Torneo's mansion, completely empty of all emotion and will. He'd been a killing machine, much like she'd been, used and controlled ruthlessly by Cronos.

But what struck her the most, was when he'd had the opportune moment to pull the trigger, to end her life. In the end however, he'd let her live.

Yes, LET her live. Despite her pride, she knew that she had been no match for his intense skills back then, which meant she would've been dead on the spot. However, it could been debated on whether she was a match for him with her current skills, which had greatly increased.

In his current state though, she knew she'd be able to tear him apart. The thought alone left a thick feeling of dread within her stomach. The melancholy in his voice when she'd carried him to the hospital had been shocking, and still greatly disturbed her. Throughout the entire time she'd known Train, Eve had never seen Train have a complete emotional breakdown. He hadn't seemed too far from it then.

She had no doubt he would be okay physically; Train was FAR too stubborn to die from something like this. He'd been through hell and back, and even had his arm ripped entirely from his body before and survived.

It was his mental state that she was worried about. Train had always been the strong one, the one that strode through all the blood and pain without even flinching. Seeing his eyes so empty, had simply shaken her to the core.

"Eve?" Sven's voice broke her away from her thoughts. She noticed with unease that he'd been staring at her curiously, obviously trying to fight his way into her mind. "What were you thinking about?"

"Well…" For some reason, she felt hesitant to tell Sven about her thoughts. When she couldn't figure out why however, she decided to tell him. "I wonder what happened to get Train into such a state…"

"We already know that Eve, those thugs shocked him with electricity remember?" Eve shook her head, cutting off Sven's explanation.

"No, what I meant was that he never would've allowed himself to be held hostage before. And on the way to the hospital, he sounded so…Lost. I've never heard his voice sound like that before."

"Well Eve…I guess we'll just have to make him happy again when he gets back." Sven exclaimed, shooting her a smile. This irritated Eve however. Not because he'd smiled at her, but because he'd spoken to her as if she was still a child.

"If you so say so." If anything their conversation had only worried her more, and she suddenly felt the overwhelming need to be alone. "Sven, I'm going to sit on the roof for a while." She murmured, pushing her chair in neatly.

"All right, just make sure to take a coat with you."

_'It's Spring Sven…'_ She thought irritably, climbing the ladder that led to the roof with ease. She hadn't obeyed Sven's words, mostly because she felt it to be a ridiculous request. After all, it was around noon, which meant that the sun was high in the sky. There was no need for a coat.

The familiar feel of the rough shingles against her fingertips was a welcome distraction from the thoughts that were racing inside her head. She pulled herself up fully, taking care to chose a spot where she wouldn't accidentally slip and fall. It was a lesson Train had taught her, when she'd began following him to his 'hideout', which turned out to be the roof. He seemed to have some sort of fascination with heights, which had begun to rub off on her a little through the years.

"I tell Sven not to worry…Yet, I'm more worried than he is." She sighed, realizing that she'd probably acted like a complete fool in front of Sven. The word instantly came to her mind, one which she remembered from one of the books she'd read while she was a child. _'Contradiction…'_

Maybe that's what she was. A contradiction. A part of her had always been that way, even when she'd killed for Torneo. She had always followed his orders without complaint, ignoring the blood that stained her hands. Yet, she hadn't WANTED to kill them. Even though she believed she was a demon, a child born of hell that was meant to kill, she hadn't wanted to kill anyone.

_'We were so alike back then…'_ A cold feeling settled within her bones as she remembered his stony face, his eyes dilated to mere slits with his hand wrapped securely around the trigger. He had been, in Sven's wording, "Crono's pet cat." He'd followed their orders blindly, killing swiftly and cleanly, all with the flick of a wrist. Yet, part of him hadn't wanted to.

It had been Saya who made him realize it.

Overall, Eve didn't know very much about Saya. They had questioned Train about her once, and had been shocked by the warmth in which he'd described her. Sven had even asked him once if Saya had been his significant other, to which Train had replied, "We weren't like that. She was more of a best friend."

She'd known instantly that this had been a lie however, for the look in his eyes had said otherwise. He'd loved her, that was undeniable. The way he'd described her, she'd seemed like a truly amazing person. Personally, Eve wished that she could've met her, just to know a little more about her. After all, to bring about such a large change in Train's heart, she should be treasured. It was a shame that Creed had been around to kill her.

_'Creed…'_ Even now, the name still sent a shiver down her spine. He wasn't evil anymore, in fact he could be written off as NORMAL. However, that didn't mean that the man didn't cease to give her the creeps the few times she'd run into him.

"Eve!" She glanced downwards to see Sven calling up to her. "The hospital called, we'll be able to see him this afternoon! Try to be ready by six!"

She merely nodded, glancing down at the watch on her arm. _'1:30...I still have plenty of time.'_

After Sven had gone back inside, she felt her body lean backwards of it's own accord, so that she was now lying on the roof instead of sitting upright. After deciding that this position was more comfortable, Eve allowed her eyes to trace the patterns in the clouds.

She didn't even notice when she'd begun to nod off, allowing the calm to consume her.

--

"I'm sorry Sven!" Eve breathed once again, rushing to catch up to his abnormally long stride. "I didn't mean to fall asleep!"

"It's alright, don't worry about it. It's not like we had to be there at an exact time Eve." Yet, despite his words, his voice clearly stated that he was slightly irritated with her. This made Eve feel guilty, for she never liked it when Sven was angry with her.

Currently, they were walking down one of the many barren hallways of the hospital Train was staying at. Ever since the surgery had been performed, Train had been put into a different room, which kept him isolated and under constant surveillance should a problem occur.

"I think this is it." Sven stated, turning the knob of a door to their right experimentally. When he pushed the door open, it appeared to indeed be the correct room.

Train was alone in the room, however after further inspection, Sven found a camera in the corner, which no doubt alerted the doctors to his condition at all times.

Despite feeling slightly uncomfortable (She didn't like being watched after all, even though the camera didn't have sound), Eve made her way to Train's bedside.

Despite his surroundings, his face had a tranquil grace, showing no hint of pain or distress. He looked to be simply asleep, but Eve knew that the anesthetic had yet to wear off. The doctor had told them on the phone that it was only a matter of time before he woke up though, which was a relief to them both.

"How can he look so peaceful?" Eve whispered, resisting the urge to reach out to him, to run her fingers through his silky brown locks. After all, she never would live it down if he chose them to wake up.

"Maybe because he's getting his much needed rest." Sven added, his one good eye widening in surprise when Train's right hand began to twitch, meaning he was regaining feeling in his body. "Would you look at that…"

A soft cough answered him, signaling that their friend was indeed awake. Shaking hands lifted slowly to remove the breathing mask, feeling as if it was choking him instead of helping like it was supposed to. "Damn…"

"Hey there." Sven smiled down at him, expecting a retort in return. When he didn't get one, he instantly became worried. "Train?"

"It fucking HURTS." Train muttered, his hands reaching to rest upon his chest. "What happened?"

"You had to have a heart transplant, otherwise they were afraid you'd suddenly have a stroke." Eve said, noticing that Train had gone unusually stiff when he'd heard her voice.

"That you Princess?"

"Who else would it be?" Despite herself, she couldn't resist the urge to mock him again. He merely sent a small smile up at her, only his eyes showing how much pain he was in.

"Thanks…for saving me I mean."

His words had been enough to shock her into silence however. He'd never really outright thanked her for anything, so the words seemed so…strange coming from his mouth.

"Y-your welcome." Feeling slightly shaken, Eve found herself directing her attention towards the wall instead, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"I see you've awoken." Three pairs of eyes turned towards the door, where a doctor they didn't recognize stepped through. "I'm happy to inform you that your body doesn't seem to be rejecting your new heart, which means you should be out of the danger zone for the time being. If things keep progressing as they are, you might be able to go home in a couple of weeks."

Train absorbed it all in silence, feeling unusually tired and drained. He supposed it was probably the after effects of the anesthetic, and as soon proven correct.

"You might be experiencing some weakness. This should fade away in the next few hours, the anesthetic has kept you unconscious for quite a while, so it's only natural that you'd experience some side effects."

He sighed, allowing his mind to wander a little. It wasn't that he lacked concern for his health, it was quite the opposite actually. He merely found himself growing tired of being serious. "If you don't mind, can I have something to drink? My throat feels like it just swallowed six tons of acid."

"Of course, I'll fetch you some water. I'll be back momentarily." The doctor then left the room.

"Jeeze, does he have to act like a walking dictionary?" As per usual, he found himself irritated with the professional aura that surrounded the place, typical of the normal hospital. This seemed to be one of the main reasons he disliked hospitals, because they made him feel small and weak.

"It's their job Train, it's what they're paid to do. Such as we're paid to bust our asses every day looking for the nut jobs that the police can't catch. It's all in business."

Train had to force down the urge to roll his eyes at his middle aged friend. "When you put it that way, it irritates me even more."

Sven laughed, mostly due to relief than anything else. For the most part, Train seemed his normal self, and he finally allowed himself to relax.

Eve however, was not fooled. _'He looks mad…'_ True to her thoughts, his eyes were reflecting more than slight irritation, most likely due to his condition rather than Sven's words. "We're just glad you're all right Train."

"Yeah, gave us quite a scare." Sven added, his voice turning completely serious once more. "I don't even want to imagine what would have happened had Eve not located you."

"Yeah…" His mind still felt a bit foggy, but he could remember that night clearly. The genuine fear in her eyes had struck him the most. Fear for him, her rival.

'Rival huh?' He smirked somewhat bitterly, raising one of his shaky hands to examine it. He noted that his skin was paler than normal, probably due to his lack of nourishment. As if on cue, his stomach let out a loud growl, causing a small blush to spread across his face.

"Leave it to you to think about your stomach at a time like this." Sven muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "How long has it been since you ate anyway?"

He racked his brain, trying to remember the last time he'd had the freedom and money to eat. "About three weeks ago."

Sven almost choked on the breath he'd been taking in, not expecting that kind of reply. Eve too, looked shocked. "You haven't eaten in three weeks!?"

He merely shook his head silently, feeling slightly ashamed that he had to be seen in such a state. He'd never liked to show weakness to anyone, and his weaknesses were currently spread before them, open for observation. He supposed it was something left over from his past; he just never liked for anyone to see his weaknesses.

Just then, the doctor re-entered with a large glass of water and a small bowl of oatmeal, having already anticipated his other needs. "I talked with the surgeon, and he feels that it's safe enough to let you have something small to eat. You shouldn't eat too fast though, we still don't know how your body will react after being deprived of food."

He nodded slowly, pulling himself somewhat painfully into a sitting position. The nurse rolled over a small table (One obviously made especially for hospitals), angling it so the top hovered over the bed. "Bon appetite."

Train couldn't help but make a disgusted face, earning a light laugh from the doctor. "Well, next time, don't get hurt so badly. Then you wouldn't have to eat hospital food."

"But I hate oatmeal…" He muttered, reluctantly taking a small spoonful of the stuff and shoving it into his mouth. Just as he'd expected, it tasting terrible. "Ew…"

"Push the button to your left when you finish; one of my assistants will be in shortly after to take away your try and assist you in any way they see fit." He then left.

Resisting the childish urge to throw the oatmeal at the door after the retreating doctor, Train forced himself to eat more of the oatmeal. After all, even though it wasn't much, at least he was being fed.

_'This is going to be a boring few weeks….'_

AN: I was going to make this chapter extra long, but alas, I don't have the patience to do so. Besides, too many time skips in one chapter is unhealthy. XD

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Black Cat, or any of it's characters. Honestly, if I did, would I be writing fan fiction for it? Common sense people, yet we have to post these anyway.

AN: Alright. Once again, I'm avoiding updating my other fanfics, and am focusing my attention on this one. -_- I'm not sure how long I want this to be yet, probably around twenty or so chapters, depending on how long I decide to stretch it out. I don't want to stretch it TOO long, because then you will grow bored. However, I need it long enough to give the reader and myself a sense of fulfillment, for I do not intend to write a sequel.

Warnings: Slight Yaoi-ish themes in Train's dream (It's CREED. COME ON, how can I AVOID a yaoi-ish theme!?). Nothing too bad though. Also….TRAIN ANGST!!!!!

Chapter 4

_The darkness wafted around him, engulfing him within it's sensual secrets. He could feel his heart pounding abnormally fast in his ears, alerting him to the intense fear he was beginning to feel. He stood frozen in place with his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his trusted revolver Hades, ensuring that he was on guard at all times should a mishap occur._

_Suddenly, his heightened senses began tingling, alerting him immediately to the danger lurking within the shadows. After a few moments, several different voices echoed throughout the room, sending an involuntary shiver racing down his spine._

_"Hehehe...So this monster wants to fight back does he?" _

_Despite his determination to retain his composure, he found himself recoiling, horrified at the implications of their words. **'What the hell...?' **They'd voiced his doubts about himself, cutting so deep into the core that he'd found himself temporarily paralyzed by shock. He was after all, the elite of the elite. Being stronger than most well trained men, and able to stand up to one that previously was able to call himself an immortal 'god' with only minor wounds and scars, what else could he be other than a monster?_

_"You're a freak Train..." A deep male voice whispered in Train's ear, echoing throughout his mind as if it were a barren wasteland. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, because he instinctively recognized the voice that had addressed him. **'Creed...!'**_

_"My lovely cat..." He jumped when he felt hot breath fan the back of his neck, and a small kiss was left upon his exposed earlobe. "Look at the monstrosity that you've become..."_

_**"W-what!?" **Beginning to feel slightly peeved by his current position, Train unconsciously began to squirm in Creed's embrace, only causing the arms around his body to tighten their hold. While he'd been distracted by Creed, several unrecognizable figures began to emerge from the shadows and glide towards him, as if they were merely illusions._

_"Freak..." It took him a moment before he'd realized that the word had come from one of the several shadows surrounding him, and the rest soon followed suit._

_"Monster!"_

_"VERMIN!"_

_The words stung heavily, as if he'd been hit by a killer wasp out for revenge. They'd struck a cord deep within his chest, a place that he'd been determined to lock away the minute he decided to become a sweeper. The hidden anger, hurt, and betrayal he housed within began to leak out of their prison, causing him to feel slightly light-headed. The fear of the power he possessed, the vengeance for the blood that stained his hands...It all rested there, poising to strike him down in his most vulnerable moment and swallow him deep within despair._

_Rage began to boil within his blood, and he struggled more persistently, earning an amused chuckle from his captor. "You just don't understand, do you Train? That witch's curse still binds you to their world...Causing you to deny who you really are. What will it take, for you to show me those killer eyes of yours again Train?"_

_**"You're fake...This isn't real...You make me sick, I DEFEATED YOU!" **Train shouted, feeling every emotion well up to the surface and into his voice. Creed's haunting laugh echoed like a record player, and Train grit his teeth to avoid losing control of the anger that was seeping inside him. Along with that anger, a cold and empty feeling was beginning to swell within his chest, causing a small gasp to escape his hoarse throat. _

_"I am merely a fragment of your imagination Train, created from the darkness welling up inside you." Creed purred in his ear, much to Train's distaste. He hated the way his name fell from Creed's lips, almost as if he had been savoring that flavor upon his tongue. For some reason, the news that this Creed was in fact an illusion didn't calm him in the slightest. In fact, it only seemed to make him angrier; feeling as if he'd been defeated by his own shadow._

_**"Let me go you sick BASTARD!" **He growled, his eyes narrowed with a deadly grace. Creed merely chuckled, and for the first time in several years, he found himself losing complete control over his emotional state. A tempting murderous thought pushed it's way through into his mind, breaking free of the barriers that had previously sealed it from his conscious._

_The image was of Creed, his eyes rolled back into his head, with blood seeping from every open pore on his skin. He almost trembled in anticipation, feeling the need to smell the thick blood of his enemy upon his hands once more._

_"Yeeeeessss..." Creed breathed against his skin, shocking him from the trance he'd unknowingly fallen into. "Those are the eyes...Tell me, are you predicting my demise...?"_

_**'He's not real...Just calm down...' **Despite his efforts to calm the absolute anger pumping through him, he found himself clenching his fists to restrain himself from harming the illusion, if that was even physically possible. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and the familiar feel of power was consuming him once more. **"Creed-!"**_

_"You claim that it was of your own free will that you left Cronos, but I know you better than that Train. Part of you still yearns for the life you'd lived before, free of the restrictions that bind you to the law now. That blood thirsty killer...That's who you really are Train...He's still inside of you, I can see it..."_

_Before he could retort, an angry black wind descended upon them, dashing the numerous illusions that had appeared along with Creed, although Creed himself remained very much solid. _

_"T-Train..."_

_He gasped, twisting himself in Creed's arms to face the owner of the voice, choking upon his words as soon as he'd begun to say them. "N-No...Sven!"_

_To say that the sweeper was in deadly shape would be an understatement. He was standing in a large pool of blood (obviously his), with his arms wrapped securely around his middle, no doubt the ultimate source of the wound inflicted. "H-How could you...Y-you...Monster..." Unable to muster the strength to hold himself up any longer, Sven collapsed to the ground, his one good eye glancing up at him with hate reflecting clearly in his emerald gaze._

_It was as if he was a child once more, standing in horror as he discovered the dead bodies of his parents. He wanted to shout, SCREAM. However, the only sound that escaped his throat was a barely audible whimper, and for a moment, Train allowed his inner weaknesses to control him. **'No...Sven...'**_

_Suddenly, the arms around him disappeared, along with the illusion of his green haired friend. Train glanced around nervously, half expecting a large creature to leap at him from the dark, hot saliva dripping from it's jaws. _

_"Tonight, I will free you of this witch's curse!" He whirled around, expecting to see the familiar memory of Creed standing over Saya's dead body, her blood dripping freely from the cold blade of his treasured sword. However, this time, it wasn't Saya's body that lie beneath him. It was..._

_**"EVE!"**_

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Deep honey eyes flew open and Train gasped, desperately trying to calm his rapidly pounding heart. It felt as if every cell in his body was on fire and sweat rolled freely across his skin, causing the white undershirt he'd fallen asleep in to cling stubbornly to his lean frame. _'Fuck...' _he thought, raising his hand to his forehead to quell the oncoming headache, _'Even in my dreams...It all haunts me...'_

The overwhelming urge to scream became evident once more, and he allowed himself to groan out loud, growing tired of his recent lack of sleep. It had been several weeks since he'd awakened from the surgery, and he'd finally been allowed to return with Sven and Eve about a week before. However, since his return he'd found his sleep plagued with uncontrollable nightmares, most of which involving things he'd be better off forgetting.

He pulled his hand back to gaze at it, as if expecting thick, crimson blood to coat his pale skin. Train was relieved however, once he realized that the only substance that clung to his skin was the salty sweat that resulted from his nightly hell.

This dream had been more vivid than the others, causing a sick feeling of dread to pool within his stomach. They seemed to become more deadly every night, as if slowly seeping every ounce of strength from his body. It was becoming more and more painful each day to pretend that the dreams didn't bother him, and his partners were beginning to worry about him.

Train sighed and pulled himself hesitantly to his feet, a soft smile crossing his face. _'Nothing a nice bottle of milk can't cure...Well, 'cept the flu.'_

He silently crept to the kitchen, noting that it was still too early in the morning for Sven and Eve to be awake, and that disturbing them was asking for trouble. Trying to reduce the sounds the refrigerator made when he opened the door, Train wrapped his left hand around a large bottle sitting on the middle shelf and shut the door. Making his way to the front door where he'd proceed to climb up to the roof, he popped open the bottle and took several long drinks.

The effects were almost immediate. He could already feel his body calming down, surrendering to the silence that surrounded him. With agile speed, Train lept onto the roof, ignoring the way the shingles dug into the fabric of his nightwear. He stretched out on the slanted surface, already feeling a large yawn rack his body. His inability to sleep was becoming unbearable.

_'I deafeated Creed...' _he thought, allowing his placid expression to wash away and reveal the troubled one lying underneath. _'Ten years ago...I took him down. Why is he in my nightmares?'_

Not for the first time, Train was beginning to wonder if some of his past memories were all combining to form his living nightmares. This concept was troubling, especially since he tended to have some pretty nasty memories. This meant that the dreams would only continue to get worse, as if fueled by a fan of some kind.

"Train?"

He jumped, almost losing balance on the angular surface. Eve was climbing out her window to sit next to him, a troubled expression on her face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine Princess, just another nightmare." He muttered, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. He was beginning to feel weak and dependent, and this bothered him greatly. "Nothing I can't handle."

"You sure?" He nodded in response, already knowing that nothing he said would be able to calm her nerves. So, he chose to stay silent, hoping she would take it upon herself to speak more.

"I saw you come out here...So, I came to check on you. Can't have you falling off the roof after all."

After several long years of traveling with this Princess, Train had come to learn that this meant 'I was worried about you and wanted make sure you're all right upstairs.' Not that this was very assuring mind you, the last thing he needed was his partners worrying about his mental health. "Sorry, hope I didn't wake you."

"No, I had been reading a book, it's fine."

"Really? What book?"

"Physiology for dummies."

".....You've got to be kidding..."

"Hm? Why do you say that?"

"....Never mind..."

It seems like it was far too late for that if Eve was already reading books about mental health. She always did find some sort of book to relate to their current problems.

"I'll be fine Eve, just go back to bed okay?"

She looked like she wanted to argue for a second, but decided to let it drop. Slowly with a proffessional grace, Eve slipped back through her window and crawled back into bed.

_'Good 'ol Princess.' _Train thought fondly, his eyes still entranced on the moon that hung limply above him. _'I hope I didn't lie to her...'_

AN: I was going to make this long...But once again didn't have the patience to do so. Hope you enjoyed. PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat, or any of it's characters. Honestly if I did, wouldn't Train x Eve be cannon!? Or at the very least, Train x Rinslet!

…I don't own it.

AN: OMG! I'm updating! 8D I'm sooo sorry it took me so long everyone! I actually started typing up the next chapter a few days after I last updated…But I never finished it…Hehehe…*Ducks under rotten tomatoes* I'm sorry! T_T Anyway, most of you will probably hate me for this chapter, but it's a scene that's been playing through my head for a long time.

Warning: Slightly OOC Train. He's drunk, what do you expect?

Chapter 5

The rain pattered softly on the ground below, creating a gentle rhythm. The cool air whipped harshly against Train's face, and he swung his arm around to shield his eyes. He stood upon a rooftop overlooking the streets below. Sven and Eve were positioned nearby with Sven acting as some sort of bait for the criminal they were supposed to be capturing.

It had been a week since his disturbing dream involving Creed and his nightmares hadn't lessened at all. In fact, they were slowly becoming even worse. His most recent one had hit him deeply to the core, having voiced his deepest fears.

He'd seen Sven and Eve slaughtered right before his eyes; their blood coated his hands and clothes, soaking him within the sin that had been committed. Train had woken up so deeply shaken, he'd been unable to speak to them for hours on end.

Letting his mind drift back to the present, he let his gaze rest upon his partners. Technically, he wasn't supposed to even leave the house for another week; doctor's orders. However, when he'd heard that Sven and Eve were going after a new bounty, his restlessness took a hold of him. He'd begged Sven to let him come along and in the end his persistence had won Sven over, much to his relief.

However, they'd given him the job of 'out looker', which meant that they didn't completely trust him when he'd said he was all right. He would be lying if he said it didn't piss him off just a little. He wasn't a baby anymore damn it, why did they insist on treating him like one!?

"You alright up there, Train!?" Sven called, his voice barely audible through the wind that was whipping against his face. Train clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to beat the hell out of the other sweeper.

"I'm soaked to the core, been given a beginners job, and I think I'm catching a cold. JUST PEACHY SVEN!" He'd wanted to say more, but the slightly hurt look on Sven's face stopped him. He knew he'd just acted like a complete ass, but he couldn't seem to help it nowadays. Maybe his lack of sleep was having a more drastic effect than he'd originally thought…

Train sighed, already feeling the start of a headache throbbing in his temples. He was beginning to wish he'd stayed home; he really wasn't in the mood to deal with Sven's overly protective attitude.

He was about to zone out again when he felt a strange prickling behind his eyes. His senses kicked in automatically and he whipped around with Hades at ready.

He found himself with Hades pointed directly at the target's chest.

The man chuckled, his eyes traveling to Train's exposed collarbone. "Heh, so YOU'RE the black cat. You don't look like much of a challenge."

He REALLY wasn't in the mood for this man's taunting. He would much rather shove Hades' barrel down his throat.

'Having murderous thoughts again, aren't we Train?'

He snapped out of his daze, only his eyes showing any sign that he'd zoned out at all. Since when had his conscious started sounding like Creed…?

"Train!" He heard Sven's call, which meant that Sven and Eve had finally caught onto his situation.

"Hm, that look in your eyes is interesting. Maybe I will enjoy this fight." The man sneered, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword.

With a satisfied smirk, Train realized HE was going to enjoy this fight. He'd been itching for one for a while now, mostly to tire himself out. The other reason though, was just a little bit darker.

Without warning, the man ducked under his gun and circled around to point his sword at Train's neck. Train easily dodged him, and fired several shots in his direction.

They hit the mark.

Staggering but not falling, the man came at him again. Train couldn't stop the shocked look that spread across his face. He'd just maimed his legs with five bullets, how the HELL was he still standing let alone running!?

"You underestimate me, Black Cat!" He taunted, drawing his blade around in a circle. Train, who had been momentarily off guard, flinched when he noticed his blood now coated the blade. His body still wasn't adjusted to being active yet, perhaps a fight really was too much.

"That murderous look in your eyes…Do you plan to kill me?" He questioned, noticing with amusement how rigid Train's body became at the question. It didn't take a genius to tell that Train was holding back. After all, he was a sweeper now. He wasn't allowed to kill.

However, that didn't mean the urge didn't slip through every now and then. It was usually subtle and easily compressed, but this time it seemed to be a bit overwhelming.

"You should never zone out during a fight." Train tensed when he suddenly felt the man's husky voice in his ear, and without warning he was suddenly on his back with the sharp tip of his sword pointing at his pulse.

"I heard you were injured, but I never would've thought your skills would've slipped this badly." He taunted again, taking in Train's shocked expression. "You seem tired and sluggish, sick perhaps. I'm impressed that you're still standing let alone fighting."

Train continued staring into the man's eyes, unwilling to back down. He felt them narrow dangerously of their own accord, another one of his old habits. He knew he probably looked like a dangerous killer right then, despite his submissive position.

"Still have fight left in you? Once a monster, always a monster."

The hand that had been reaching for Hades stilled immediately, shaking softly with suppressed emotions. It was as if the man had reached into his heart and mind. It was troubling.

"You'll never change. So what if you've become a sweeper? You still yearn to kill; I can see it clearly in your eyes. That will never go away, no matter how much your suppress it."

This was starting to sound dangerously like his dream. Train would be lying through his teeth if he'd said it didn't bother him at all; in reality he felt pretty shaken up.

"They'll be next you know." He whispered huskily in Train's ear, "Their blood will stain your hands alone."

Before Train had a chance to respond, he felt the weight on top of him lessen. Having closed his eyes before, he wasn't able to see what was happening, but he could hear it clearly. Sven and Eve must have finally made it up there.

He couldn't bring himself to move. He felt weak and drained. The rain still pounded steadily on his skin, washing away the scent of blood that had began to overrun his senses. Just how much had he bled…?

Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea after all. He should have stayed in bed and ignored his restless instincts. He wanted nothing more than to sleep for hours. Pure, blissful sleep.

"Train…?" He snapped out of his daze and realized that Eve now stood above him, reaching a hand out for him to grab. He held it silently, and pulled himself off the wet surface, flinching when he irritated his wound again. "Are you okay?"

Despite feeling slightly shocked that she'd actually voiced her concern, he answered honestly. "I…I don't know."

Her eyes followed every move he made as he numbly reached down to grasp a hold of his trusted revolver. He shivered unconsciously when the cold oricalcum met his skin.

"You should rest Train, you look tired." Sven spoke up, keeping his hands tightly around the hands of the criminal despite him being handcuffed. "I told you that you weren't ready to fight yet."

"Pathetic." He thought the word had come from the criminal at first, but realized quickly that it had fallen from his own lips. The harsh tone he'd spoken in, it hadn't seemed like him. It was slightly terrifying.

"That's right. You're pathetic kitty, running away from yourself like always."

He chose not to respond, not trusting himself to speak. He didn't want to prove just how tired and angry he was. He didn't want to show the man that his words had actually affected him.

"Shut up!" Sven yelled, resisting the urge to slug the man across the jaw.

"I'm going out for a while." Train murmured, ignoring the shocked yells Sven sent his way when he leapt jerkily off the roof and began to walk away. He would have to stop by Anette's to get his wound treated real quick before he did anything else, but he had no intention on returning home anytime soon.

______________________________________________________________________________

"You're a new face. You from around these parts?" Train sighed, having no wish to be involved in a conversation with the barkeeper. His hand unconsciously came to rest on his injured hip, feeling the bandages that were covered by his shirt.

"I don't usually drink…" He murmured, wondering absently why the hell he'd ended up at a bar in the first place. He didn't like alcohol, and despised the effects it had upon his system. Yet, here he was.

"Sake." He ordered, noticing that he voice had become hoarse. He was probably catching a cold from being out in the rain.

He wasn't sure just what had compelled him to drink. All he knew was that he wanted to forget everything, even if just for one night. Maybe he would pass out somewhere and he'd actually be able to sleep for a few hours?

The barkeeper returned with a large glass, resisting persistently when Train moved to pay him. "I'll pay for you tonight. You look tired, anything you want to talk about?"

"Nah." He murmured, eying the glass warily before taking a long swig. "Just some bastard reminding me about some stuff I've been trying to forget."

He chose to ignore the sympathetic look the man gave him and continued gulping down the alcohol. It burned his throat and turned his stomach, but he couldn't find the strength to give a damn.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Do you need me to drive you home, young man?" The barkeeper eyed him warily, noting with unease that Train's eyes had completely glazed over from the effects of the alcohol. It was probably around five or so, which meant that he'd been sitting in the bar for several hours.

"N-Nah. I'll be….F-fine." Train managed to reply, heading wobbly for the door.

"Alright then…" He glanced nervously after Train, his mind clouding over with worry.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Where the HELL is Train!?" Eve sighed, not bothering to chastise Sven for his language. To be truthful, she was becoming quite worried herself. They'd returned around noon and had been expected Train to pop in around dinner time. It was now nine, and he was still gone.

"He's been acting weird lately…Do you think something's happened to him?" Sven questioned softly, his one good eye shining with genuine concern. Train was his best friend after all. Sure, they fought, pissed each other off, and constantly irritated the other. That didn't mean Sven didn't care infinitely for his partner.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you Sven." Eve could've slapped the older man. It was so obvious, why hadn't he even NOTICED!?

She was about to scold him further when a heavy thud sounded from the living room.

Exchanging a worried glance, Eve followed Sven into the other room.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His mind was cloudy.

He wasn't sure how he'd made it home. He had wandered around for a few hours until he managed to locate the proper house within his wavering vision. He wasn't sure how he made it through the door either; his legs were shaking so much it was difficult to even stand.

Maybe that's why he managed to trip over himself the second he'd closed the door behind him.

Hissing in pain (He'd landed upon his injured side), Train struggled onto his wobbly knees and reached for the arm of the couch to pull himself up. Just how much had he drunk? He felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

"T-Train?" He turned uneasily towards the doorway that led to the kitchen, where Sven and Eve were staring at him with shocked eyes. In his hazy state, he couldn't seem to figure out why they were staring at him like that.

"W-Why're y-you staring a-at me like that, S-ven…?" He went to walk, only for his balance to give out on him. The wall caught him before he fell, but it still was enough to prove to Sven his condition.

"Are you drunk!?" Sven questioned, unconsciously raising an arm to shield Eve, despite her protests.

"Wh-hat are you d-oing Sven? Y-You a…act like I-I'm going to h-hurt her…" Feeling hurt that his partner would think so little of him, Train pulled himself up again.

"I know you wouldn't, but you're not in a right state of mind. Just what the hell were you thinking!? You know your body can't handle alcohol!"

"Shut the h-hell up!" Sven jumped when Hades hit the wall next to him, obviously having been aimed for his head. Now he knew Train was out of it. He would never treat his beloved gun that way, nor would he ever raise a threatening hand to either of them.

"You don't know s-shit!" He screamed, wobbling forward a few steps before losing his balance once again. He fell to his knees, unable to distinguish any particular direction.

Eve shook slightly with fear, unable to retain her facade. She'd never seen Train act this way before, and it was beginning to frighten her. He was always the strong one; would he really hurt her like this?

"A-Always acting…like…y-you…k-know me…" Train pulled himself to his feet again, only to stumble backwards onto the couch. "Y-You…"

"Listen Train." Sven sighed, raising a hand to massage his aching temple. "I don't know what that man said to you, or what's been going on, but to act like this-"

"I SAID YOU DO-DON'T KNOW SHIT!" Train screamed, feeling his eyelids droop slightly with exhaustion. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

"Eve, go to bed." Eve glared at Sven, angry that he was still bossing her around as if she were still a child.

"Sven, I-"

"Eve." Shocked by the intensity in his voice, she couldn't bring herself to continue. "Please."

Glancing worriedly in Train's direction, Eve wordlessly obeyed her adoptive father's words. It was probably best she didn't witness Train in this state.

Sven sighed heavily, moving to sit beside Train on the couch. "Do you need a trash can? Water? Anything?"

"I'm f-fine…" Train murmured, raising a hand warily to rub his forehead. He could already feel the headache coming on, but he was still too dazed from the effects of the alcohol to acknowledge it.

"No you're not. Talk to me."

"W-What are you…Some th-therapist?" He choked, shivering lightly once he realized just how badly he was sweating. It dripped from his hair and coated every inch of his skin.

Okay, maybe he wasn't so fine.

Seeing the emotion wafting in and out of Train's gaze, Sven allowed another sigh to escape his lips. He pulled Train into a gentle hug, feeling his fatherly instincts going haywire. Train tried to struggle at first, but eventually allowed himself to become comfortable in Sven's embrace.

"You're a royal pain in my ass, you know that?" Sven whispered, the words sounding a bit harsher than he'd intended. "If it's that bad, why didn't you talk to us about it?"

"W-worry…" Giving in to the darkness that was beginning to dance across his vision, he'd only managed to utter one word before his vision went black.

Feeling Train go limp in his arms, Sven pulled back to eye his partner. Swearing softly when he realized Train had passed out cold, he tucked him in quietly on the couch with a blanket he'd stolen from the closet upstairs. Making sure that a garbage can was situated nearby in case the alcohol decided to come back up during the night, Sven decided to go to bed.

'_Damnit Train, what are you getting yourself into now?'_

AN: So, who wants to kill me yet? *Ducks when random objects begin flying in my face* I was actually thinking of this story once, and my imagination went a little wild. I saw Train in a bar, and then Sven yelling at him when he got home. I thought it fit the situation a little, so I decided to use it. Sorry that Train acts a bit OOC, but he's a little confused right now. XD I can't wait to write him with his hangover…I'm such a horrible person. XD I'm sorry Train-sama….

THERE WILL BE MORE TRAIN X EVE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I PROMISE!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat. I am merely borrowing it for the amusement of myself and my readers.

AN: Hangover time! XD Poor Train. This is going to be quite entertaining to write. TRAINEVE ALERT!

Chapter 6

The first thing he became aware of as his consciousness returned to him was a throbbing pain in his head, obliterating all other senses. He groaned and rubbed his temples softly, trying in vain to ease the ache welling up.

The second thing he realized was that his stomach wasn't going to hold the alcohol.

He slammed the bathroom door behind him, too intent on making it to the toilet to acknowledge the amount of noise he was currently making. After most of the alcohol had been purged from his system, Train weakly reached for the flush button, collapsing tiredly against the wall. He groaned lightly, resisting the urge to curl up in a ball and shield his head from the light leaking through the curtains into the room.

"Train?"

The delicate voice hit him like a train and he was forced to grit his teeth to prevent any sounds from escaping. Just how much _had _he drank? He'd never felt this terrible, even when he had been injured severely in battle. What's more, he couldn't remember anything from the night before after he had arrived at the bar.

"Are you okay?" She knelt down next to him. Her long blonde hair was tangled and messy, meaning she had just pulled herself out of bed. He'd probably woken her up.

"I'm fine, Princess." He smiled lightly to reassure her, although his eyes contradicted his words. He was anything BUT fine. She could see it, he knew she could. He just couldn't find the strength to say it to her face.

"Do you feel well enough to make it back to the couch? The garbage can's still there if you need it."

Train nodded numbly, fighting down the nausea that was forcing its way through. He would probably feel sick for the entire day, if not more.

"God, what happened?" He groaned after he had trudged back to the couch and collapsed like a rag doll onto the cushioned surface. Eve followed him into the room, her eyes observing his movements as if he was a rare specimen of an animal species.

"After we got home, Sven and I waited up for you. We were beginning to worry when you stumbled through the door and started spouting nonsense. You even threw Hades at Sven." Eve explained, watching with unease as Train's expression turned from shock to shame.

"I threw…Hades at Sven?"

"Don't worry, you missed terribly. The alcohol had obviously impaired your aim." She reassured, needing to make him disregard all the guilt he must be feeling. She couldn't figure out why she felt that way, which puzzled her greatly. However, despite being her greatest rival Train was her friend. She couldn't just leave him to bury himself within his self loathing.

"That's not the point…if my aim HADN'T been impaired; I could have seriously hurt Sven…" Train murmured, running a hand absently through his bangs, which were now damp with sweat. "Princess, do we have anything for my head?"

"I'll go check." Eve scurried out of the room, unable to withstand the atmosphere around her friend. For some reason, she felt suffocated and frightened. It wasn't like her to get so worked up over something like this, but she couldn't help but feel like Train was pushing her away.

She narrowed her eyes in confusion as she dug through the medicine cabinets in the bathroom. She couldn't help but feel hurt and a little angry with this realization. Hadn't Train always been there when she needed a helping hand or a hard shove in the behind? In that case, why _couldn't _he just let her into his life more? Sometimes, he acted as if opening up to her would rip him apart.

'_He probably wasn't like this with Saya…' _Despite her resolve to cherish the memory of Train's beloved woman, Eve couldn't push away the light tint of jealousy that was beginning to bubble up within her stomach. Train obviously cherished her memory as much as he held onto his own life; would he cherish her as much if something happened to her?

Shaking her head to dispel l those thoughts, Eve slammed the cabinet in light anger. She knew she had probably woken the irritable Sven and that he would probably be upset with her, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She needed to vent her confusing feelings through violent means; at least she hadn't felt the need to shatter the mirror with her transformed hair.

"Train…you idiot." Eve sighed lightly, glancing in the mirror to see her reflection. She was shocked to find a light crimson blush staining her cheeks, betraying her conflicting emotions.

'_Why am I feeling this confused? It's just Train after all.' _She sighed once more and ventured out of the bathroom only to run smack into Sven, who'd pulled himself out of bed to investigate the source of the loud noise.

"Eve, what-"

"Train's awake. We're out of pain killers, would you like to go pick some up or do I have to do it?" Eve stated simply, not even bothering to greet her adoptive father. She had no excuse to give; she just wasn't in the mood for formalities.

"Uh…That's okay, I'll get it." Sven stated, glancing between Eve and the doorway. "What happened?"

"He woke up and got sick; he apparently doesn't feel very well." Eve motioned with her hand toward the doorway. "His head was aching, so he asked me if we had anything for his pain. I volunteered to check, but apparently we're out of pain medication."

Sven rubbed his temples lightly, sighing in irritation. "All right, let me get dressed and I'll pick some up. Do you think you could make breakfast this morning?"

"Sure." She stepped forward to peck him lightly on the cheek as a silent apology for her attitude and trudged back to the living room.

When she re-entered the room, she was met with a pair of hopeful honey gold eyes. To her dismay, every spark went dim when she shook her head to voice her answer; there was no medication.

"Shit." Train muttered, covering his eyes lightly with his hand. He'd done it unconsciously, as if hoping the pain would vanish with this simple action. As to be expected, the harsh burn continued to seep through his skin.

"Is it really that bad?" Eve questioned, gently sitting down next to him on the couch. She didn't like the painful expression he wore when he turned to look at her, nor did she like his obvious answer.

"Yes, it feels as if my head is being forcefully sawed open, Princess." Train responded, seeming to grow paler with every word. Instinctively, he inched closer to the garbage can in case his stomach decided to pull a fast one. So far, he was holding up pretty well.

"Well, Sven is going to pick some up for you. I promised I would make some breakfast." She noticed that Train winced at the mention of food. "Do you think you could hold anything down?"

"Oh hell no…" Train grimaced, resting his left hand gently on his stomach. "Please don't mention food. I don't even think I could hold in water right now…."

"Okay then…" Eve sent one more worried glance in his direction before striding into the kitchen, her mind already working like clockwork as she contemplated the possible electives for a good breakfast. Since they had gone shopping recently, there were plenty to choose from.

In the end, she decided on something light; eggs and toast. If Sven had a problem with her choice, then he could throw something in a pan and make it when he got home. At the time, Eve didn't really feel like messing with the stove.

As she cracked the first batch of eggs into the sizzling pan, Eve could hear the noise made by Sven as he swept through the house in search of his wallet. Recalling that Sven had thrown it onto the table the night before, Eve made sure the stove wouldn't burn the eggs and snatched the wallet from its resting place.

"Here it is, Sven." Eve shoved the wallet in his hands and practically shoved the poor man out the door, ignoring his protests. "Now, _please _hurry up."

After Sven was safely on his way, Eve returned to the kitchen and set to work on their breakfast. Within minutes, she had produced two steaming plates of eggs and buttered toast. Thinking ahead, Eve placed Sven's plate in the microwave and covered it with a paper towel; Sven was likely to get distracted and take longer at the store than he was supposed to.

Unable to take the silence any longer, Eve grabbed her own plate and marched into the living room. She ignored Train's loud protests at the smell her food was giving off and plopped down on the opposite couch, taking a moment to taste test her egg before answering. "Suck it up; I didn't want to sit in there by myself."

"Aw, did you miss me too much, Princess?" Train teased, despite the pain continuously assaulting his senses. Eve resisted the urge to wrap her wavy hair around his throat and strange him; he was merely teasing after all.

Sometimes, Eve felt as if it would be beneficial to her mental health if she allowed Rinslet to cut her hair short once again.

"No, but someone needs to babysit the broken kitty." She stated to redeem herself, noticing with unease that he flinched visibly at the word 'broken'. Had he taken her words seriously…?

"If you say so…" The expression on his face clearly stated that he wasn't going to contribute to the conversation any longer, so Eve didn't bother replying.

It was silent for a few minutes as Eve finished off her breakfast, glancing towards the clock every now and then. Sven had been gone for almost twenty minutes; he would have arrived at the store by then.

"So, I never asked you when you gave up your crush on Sven." Train commented, breaking the silence. He chuckled lightly when Eve visibly blushed, whether from embarrassment or anger he would never find out.

"I had long realized that he would never return my feelings, so I gave up not long after you left and allowed him to adopt me as his daughter. Honestly, I think I'm happier this way…" Eve admitted, setting her plate gently on the coffee table.

"Well, as long as you don't regret your decision." Train relented, his eyes absently drifting over her form. She was sitting comfortably on the opposite couch, resting her face gently on her bent hand. Her gaze was fixated on a random object in the distance, which meant she could quite possibly have become lost in her thoughts and memories. Her hair fell gracefully off her shoulders, doing nothing to hide the womanly curves she possessed.

Despite his resolve to keep himself from staring, he simply couldn't deny the need to admire her. During his absence, she had become a pretty young woman.

'_Beautiful…' _he silently corrected, fighting down a light blush. His thoughts were anything but dishonest; he couldn't be any more truthful if he pointed out that her hair was a blondish gold.

Despite having admitted his admiration for the girl, Train couldn't decipher just _why _he feeling this way for someone he had previously viewed as some sort of little sister figure. Sure, he'd glanced at a few girls every now and then; he was sure there wasn't a man alive that _hadn't. _He just wasn't the type to stare upon a woman like a love struck fool.

"Are you all right?" Eve's question snapped him out of his inner thoughts.

"Y-yeah." Shit, he'd stuttered. Now she would know for sure that something was up. Train NEVER stuttered; it just wasn't something he did. It was sort of like crying, although with a less emotional impact on his life.

"Are you sure?" Her intense gaze bore into him, clearly stating that she didn't believe a word of his nonsense.

"Yes." This time, he forced his voice to steady itself and allowed his eyes to wander elsewhere. It wouldn't do to get caught staring a second time.

A few more silent minutes passed before Sven appeared in the doorway, his face showing shock and light irritation. "I'm back; guess who I ran into at the supermarket?"

"Who?" Eve questioned, only to blink in surprise when a familiar silver haired man appeared behind Sven, his eyes trained on Train alone. "Creed?!"

Train glanced up for a moment to acknowledge the other man's presence, but didn't bother voicing his opinion on the matter. On the contrary, he didn't really care that the other man was there. All he wanted were the pills in Sven's right hand; he was quite ready to blow someone's head off with Hades to get them if need be.

"Wow, you look like hell." Creed commented, his eyes continuing to sweep Train's hunched form on the couch.

"Shut up." Train snapped, reaching out to take the pill bottle from Sven. Ignoring the urge to take more than he was supposed to, he grabbed two pills from the bottle and dry swallowed them; he winced at the harsh sensation the pills caused as they pushed their way down his sore throat.

"You shouldn't do that, you know." Sven pointed out, snatching the bottle from Train's hands. He ignored Train's startled protest and marched into the kitchen.

"Breakfast is in the microwave!" Eve called after a moment, remembering her earlier objective. Relaxing once Sven called back to confirm that he had heard her, she turned back to the two men who were, to her surprise, glaring irritably at each other.

"Take that back!" Train growled, his honey eyes narrowing dangerously. Creed chuckled, his eyes showing amusement.

"Nope!" Eve almost laughed when Train's face twisted first in irritation, then to confusion, then to light pain when his head began to remind him of his hangover.

"Why not?!"

"Well, because you deserved it."

"I did not!"

"Yes you did. You knew full well what you were doing when you marched into that bar; you merely decided to ignore that you cannot handle that much alcohol." Creed stated. His expression appeared to be a mix between mock boredom and sternness, such as one Eve's previous history teachers would often wear during class.

"Humph." Train wisely chose to keep his reply to himself, realizing that he had been outsmarted on the matter. Although he was forced to admit that he was slightly creped out by Creed's change of attitude, he couldn't help but be relieved.

All the same, Eve simply couldn't get over how _strange _it was to see two men that previously hated each other (well, on Train's end at least) conversing together on a couch. She was used to them leaping at each other's throats; seeing them teasing each other was hilarious.

"Cat got your tongue?" Train bit his lip to keep his reply in his throat, knowing that Creed was probably just trying to piss him off. The laughing expression on the other man's face was enough to tell him that.

"Shut _up, _Creed." Train finally muttered, running a hand through the dark strands of brown hair that was hanging unhindered in his face. He didn't bother moving them to a different place and sighed lightly in relief. The pain killers were finally beginning to kick in, leaving a numb sensation to spread throughout his temples.

Blocking out Creed's protest, Train glanced at Eve once more from behind his hair. She was staring at them in amusement, looking as if she was doing her very best to fight down the urge to laugh. Fighting down the slight increase in the pulses of his heart, Train forced himself to glance back towards the wall. It wouldn't do to be caught staring again. He was just beginning to feel better; he didn't need a thousand sharp hair knifes sticking into his back due to the flaring anger of his princess.

…His princess?

When the _hell _did that happen?

AN: Okay, so…what do you think…? *Glances around nervously* I know I haven't updated in over a month and I'm sorry for that. I actually should be working on the five Christmas stories I have to get done before school starts again, but I realized that I should work on updating my three ongoing fanfictions that are waiting for me; even though I can't actually post the chapters until our internet resets itself. Of course that could be anytime from now to…well…let's just hope it turns back on soon. Obviously when you see this chapter, it will have righted itself again.

Now to relieve my boredom by updating my other stories. Please read and review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any rights to this awesome anime. I do however, own this fanfiction and if I found it anywhere else I will kick the ass of the one responsible if they took it without my permission.

AN: Okay, so some of you were confused about Creed in the last chapter. I merely put him in there on a whim to show that they made up in the past couple years, although Train is still slightly uncomfortable with him. It shows a little character development; I didn't want this ENTIRE story to be about the relationship between Train and Eve, although that is the main focus. I will also be emphasizing other relationships as well, although not romantic ones. (Resists the urge to add Sven x Rinslet) There will be time enough for that in a different fanfiction.

"_Can you hear heaven cry?" ~Ryandan_

Chapter 7: Tears of an Angel

Sometimes, Eve was more than certain that her type of day would be foreshadowed by the appearance of weather. If it was sunny, her day tended to be fairly pleasant; Rainy, not so pleasant. Then there were the days that it stormed loudly, the type of enormous and thunderous storm that scared every little kid within a hundred miles or so from the pinpoint.

Currently, Eve could hear the heavy pounding of the icy raindrops on the roof above her as she sat comfortably in the kitchen drinking coffee. She shivered lightly, as if the rain had soaked through her skin as well. On the contrary, she was as dry as one could be. However, that didn't stop the cold sense of forbidding that had settled in the pit of her stomach, shaking her to the very core.

Usually, she wouldn't let her gut feelings scare her so much. On the other hand, there were so many things that could go wrong that she couldn't help but feel a little 'under the weather'.

First of all, there was the recent increase in the amount of crime in the city. Of course, usually that would be somewhat good for the sweepers. However, this also meant that the reward money wasn't as much either and that they were often leaving the house at uncomfortable hours to take down criminals.

Secondly, Sven had been injured severely in their last battle merely a few nights before. They had been hunting down a criminal that was charged for murder and rape; this criminal was apparently very efficient at escaping capture. They'd been led all over town before they managed to corner him. It was then that they found out about a hidden weapon he had been using. Their ignorance had cost Sven several deep gashes across his chest and legs.

Thirdly, there was still the problem with Train's recent attitude. Eve would be lying through her teeth if she said she wasn't worried to death about her partner. Sure, he'd recovered enough from the alcohol incident, but that didn't mean he was entirely back to his normal self. Indeed, Eve had caught him several times spending sleepless nights on the roof. He had never told her why, but she persistently began to stay up with him every night. If he wasn't going to tell her, she was going to have to observe him more closely.

He protested heavily of course, as did Sven, but Eve merely ignored them and continued her nightly watch over who had easily become one of her closest friends over the years. Despite being rivals, it was incredibly difficult for Train to not rub off on her after a while. Indeed, she found herself enjoying his presence more now that she had given up her hopeless mission for the spotlight in Sven's life. Jealousy didn't sit well with her after all.

Sighing lightly, Eve glanced warily towards the stairs that led up to the room that the exhausted Black Cat inhabited. There was no doubt in her mind that he was sleeping, having passed out from sheer exhaustion the night before. Normally, Sven would be sitting up with her considering it was almost noon, but he was still in the hospital. This left Eve alone to ponder.

She was finding it harder and harder to cope without Train's happy-go lucky attitude. In a way, she supposed that Train had always been the leader of their group, in his way. He kept everyone together and supported them all with his tireless antics and endless humor, despite having angered every one of them on a daily basis. It had kept them from giving up all these years without them even noticing; now that the bond was beginning to break, Eve was starting to realize just how much that bond meant to her.

'_He's my friend; he always has been. I was just too stubborn to acknowledge his efforts back then. I guess I was just too jealous of his partnership with Sven to notice.' _Eve sighed once more and glanced toward the window this time, glaring at the persistent rain. Already, she could tell that her day wasn't going to be an overall pleasant one.

"P-Princess…?" Eve turned to see Train standing in the doorway, looking every bit as tired as he'd been the day before.

"Train, what are you doing up?" She inquired sharply, her eyes flashing him a scrutinizing look, just daring him to lie to her.

"Hey, I can't control when I wake up!" Train waved his hands in front of him defensively, only his eyes betraying his lie; he'd been awake for quite a while.

Eve glared half heartedly at the stubborn man, too pissed off already to bother igniting another argument with Train. As it was, she could tell that Train was in no mood for their usual childish squabble.

Train rolled his eyes irritably before heading toward the fridge and popping it open. In seconds, he was gulping down a cold bottle of milk; it was his favorite treat.

"Don't you ever get a brain freeze by doing that?" Eve snapped lightly, unable to stop herself from asking the question that had been ringing in her head for quite a while now.

"Nah, you get used to it after a while." Train replied after a moment, pausing to wipe the milk mustache off his mouth.

"Hm, whatever." Eve muttered, too intent upon finishing her coffee to care.

"So, you wanna visit Sven in the hospital today?" Train asked, sitting down in the chair next to Eve's at the table.

"Actually, I was hoping to stay home, if you don't mind." Eve answered as her eyes bore into the dark brown beverage.

"Okay." Train stated simply, not bothering to inquire further. He could tell easily that Eve wasn't in a great mood and to tempt her would be his demise.

It was silent in the cool kitchen for a few moments, only broken by the light whistling of the wind against the house. Such a silence wasn't exactly unusual in the house, so neither occupant was bothered by the comfortable quiet that had settled between them. They preferred to communicate through other means anyway.

After a few more minutes of silence, Train sighed lightly and stood to leave the room. His head was throbbing, despite the silence. He had a feeling that the headache resulted from his lack of sleep, but he wasn't about to voice his discomfort to anyone; he preferred to keep his pain to himself if telling could be avoided.

Eve watched him leave, her eyes trailing after his retreating form. Even after he'd been out of site for almost a minute, if not longer, she continued to stare at the spot he'd once stood when he'd left.

She missed Train. No, not the Train that was just in the same room with her; that Train wasn't the one she wanted to see. She wanted to come downstairs in the morning to be greeted by Train's happy-go-lucky attitude. His recent depressed ambiance was beginning to unnerve her.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Train stared off into the distance, not really focusing on anything particular. There wasn't anything TO focus on anyway; all that could be seen by the naked eye were the shadowed roofs of various buildings and structures as they climbed into the night sky. The moon shone brightly down on him, but it did nothing to disturb the darkness surrounding the city.

The former assassin shivered lightly, having not thought to bring a sweater with him when he'd retreated to his nightly solace. Ever since the rain had stopped several hours before, the air had been uncharacteristically chilly. Yet, despite the slight discomfort he was beginning to feel, he didn't bother to interrupt his thoughts long enough to slip inside and grab a jacket or sweater.

Growing bored with the desolate land in front of him, Train leaned backward until he felt the familiar sensation of the sandpaper-like shingles digging into his back. Surprisingly, the feeling wasn't particularly unpleasant. Actually, it felt somewhat comforting to Train. It was familiar and homey, helping to calm his racing nerves.

Sighing heavily, he allowed his eyes to drift close. He could feel the slight pulse of the persistent headache behind his eyelids, effectively shutting out all intentions of sleep he'd been having. Despite taking several pain killers throughout the course of the day, Train was horrified to find that the headache decided to rear its ugly head over and over; he was beginning to become quite irritated, probably due to his lack of sleep more than the headache.

"Train?" He didn't have to look to know that Eve had once again followed him to the roof, insisting upon reminding him of her presence. Suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to look at her, Train allowed his left eye to drift open and take in her attire.

Unlike him, she had actually thought to grab something warm to wear before climbing up to the roof where the wind-chill was likely to be more apparent. She adorned the comfortable wool sweater that Sven had given her as a gift a few months back. Needless to say, she was quite fond of it and wore it every chance she got, especially if the older sweeper happened to be around. It pleased him to see Eve so happy with his gift.

On the other hand, he snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed the black leather jacket strewn across her shoulder. He smiled lightly, amused by her compassionate instincts. It was amazing that the girl standing in front of him used to be an emotionless killing machine.

"You left your jacket." Eve stated, dropping it on his stomach without bothering with common courtesy. Besides, he should know better than to go up to the roof without a jacket on a night that was this cold. Sometimes, Eve swore Train needed to be babysat.

"Thanks." He muttered, pausing to slip into the warm material before falling back against the shingles once more. Eve chose not to follow his example and sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, holding them close for warmth.

Once again, they found themselves suffering under the same damned silence. Although Train would never admit it aloud, he was silently wishing that Eve would strike up some sort of conversation. Serious or not, Train would relish in the atmosphere change that would likely be brought upon them.

"You can talk to me, you know." Eve pointed out quietly, her eyes drifting toward his still form. She didn't need any sort of conformation to know that he'd heard her, although it would have been nice to hear a voiced reply.

Train didn't reply for a few minutes, absently feigning sleep as he considered Eve's words. He wasn't stupid; he knew full well what she was talking about. Obviously, his attempts to appear as if everything was back to normal weren't slipping past her perspective gaze. Unable to decide whether that thought was comforting or unnerving, he decided to voice his opinion.

"I know…but…" He sighed, unable to find the words to say what he needed to say. He wasn't one to show uncertainty or hesitation, but he couldn't help but let his barriers fall this once.

"Train, you're really starting to scare me." There, she said it. She shivered lightly, although not from the cold.

Her emotions were running haywire. She was confused, sad, irritated, and…something else that she couldn't explain all at once. She was worried for Train, yet irritated at him for his closed off actions. She was confused, because he hadn't bothered to explain anything and that other feeling was working its way to her gut, creating several small flutters of nervousness.

"I…" Truthfully, he didn't know how to reply to that. His first instinct had been to say, 'I'm sorry.' However, he'd halted instantly upon realizing that the apology wasn't really appropriate at the current time. The look on her face said that much; she was beginning to become annoyed with his silence.

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell her just yet. Instead, he stood and glanced in her direction once more before heading back toward his window, leaving his voice to drift back towards her.

"Thank you…for worrying about me."

With that said, he left Eve feeling confused and slightly embarrassed on the roof.

AN: Eh…Not sure what to say about this chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the awesome anime by the name of 'Black Cat', nor will I ever. I am however, a dedicated fan that decided to spread her love of the under appreciated anime and manga.

AN: Here's the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy! 8D It's writing itself, so expect lots of TrainEve-ness! Spread the love! *Twirls around stupidly*

Warning: MAJOR TRAIN ANGST. MAJOR. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM, REALLY I DON'T. HOWEVER, I guess it needed to happen sometime. Better now than never.

"_It's a game and we're all just victims of love…" –Good Charlotte_

Chapter 8: Victims of Love

Breathing; it was a simple act meant to keep the human body alive and moving. Generally, it was impossible to just _stop _breathing unless you meant to suffocate yourself or your heart suddenly stopped beating. Otherwise, the reflex was controlled by muscles inside the body that continued to move, even when the mind is unconscious.

Train couldn't help but wish that he _could _just stop breathing. He hated himself for it, but he really didn't think he could stand all the damn sleepless nights anymore. Three weeks…of barely any sleep. Despite his usual strong personality, it was beginning to bring his energy level down.

On top of that, Sven was conveniently still in the hospital and not capable of making money. This therefore left all the bills and shopping to Train and Eve, who both detested dealing with these types of issues; nether were quite up for it either.

This really isn't a good combination in case you didn't catch on yet.

Train was currently limping back toward the house, his pockets full of reward money and his eyes full of tiredness and frustration. Despite having taken out a majority of it on the criminal, he still felt an unimaginable _anger _burning inside him. He couldn't explain _why_, but it was so strong that it felt as if he was being burned from the inside out.

He hated feeling so weak and isolated and yet, he found that he was relishing in it at the same time. Before, he hadn't had the time or the state of mind for reflections and anger. He'd been a puppet and then a recovering sweeper. Although he was still a sweeper, he was beginning to realize that his world was slowly slipping through his fingertips. He couldn't grasp onto it, no matter how much he wanted to.

This irked him. He hated feeling vulnerable; his years working for Cronos had drilled into his head that feeling any sort of vulnerability was a weakness that could be exploited to the enemy and could eventually be the end of him.

He just couldn't figure out _who _the enemy was, though. Was it himself?

'_I'm a coward…running away with my tail between my legs…and I don't even know what I'm running from.' _He knew he was lying to himself, having already thought this over several times. He knew full well just what he was running from, but he didn't want to admit it because admitting that you have a problem is the first step in confronting it.

He didn't want to confront it yet. He was afraid and that alone was cause for alarm. Train Heartnet wasn't the type to be shaken up by something like this; perhaps Creed had been right, he was going too soft for his own good.

A clash of thunder sounded in the distance, startling Train from his thoughts. He glanced up at the sky with somewhat cloudy eyes, looking just as stormy as the dark clouds gathering above him. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd suddenly acquired the ability to change the weather according to his mood, despite logic telling him that it was clearly impossible.

'_I need to go home…but I don't _want _too…' _He didn't want to walk through that door and see her sitting on the couch, looking lonely and out of place. He didn't want the barrage of questions that plagued his mind whenever he saw her. He didn't want to admit what his heart was telling him.

He didn't want her to worry about him, yet he felt better _because _she worried about him; it showed that she cared, even if only a little.

"What am I supposed to do?" He wondered out loud, stopping beside a large tree and a bench. He recognized the empty park, although he didn't like to come around this area of town often.

Feeling the strong urge to touch the bark, Train hesitantly reached out and trailed his rough and worn hands over the smooth bark of the tree. He stopped when a reached a large gash in its left side, most likely the result of a lightning strike or some sort of knife. He blinked in innocent confusion, tracing the scar with his fingertips. After a moment, he raised the hand to his own chest and mimicked the action, feeling his heart beating in a gentle rhythm beneath his rough fingers.

"Am I…scarred?" He flinched lightly, hating the melancholy and loneliness bubbling up within his gut. He wanted to, but he couldn't form the words to deny it. He hated that he couldn't, because that meant he was lying and he didn't _want _to be lying. He wanted everything to be the truth.

Truth…he was beginning to fear the word itself. It healed the most petty of arguments and friendships and sometimes gained unimaginable freedoms. At the same time however, it forced eyes to open wide and take a look at the darkness plaguing a single heart and tortured the bearer with raw _emotion _and unstoppable _pain._ He couldn't stop it; he just wanted everything to stop.

It felt as if his world was spinning in an uncontrollable cycle, leaving him behind to scream and reach out and grasp for anything to hold onto in order to keep him rooted in reality. He needed something to hold, to show him that he wasn't merely the ghost that existed but _didn't _truly exist. He needed to know that he wasn't _dying_ despite the fatigue and hopelessness that was washing over him. He wanted to watch his own crimson blood wash from his body and _laugh _at it; merely because he would have a _reason _for proof that he was insane. Maybe if he had an excuse, then everything would stop twirling out of control.

He pressed his forehead lightly to the bark, clenching his right fist tightly and punching a small hole in the side, leaving yet another scar on the tree. He growled menacingly, resisting the urge to let out a blood curling scream of anger and confusion. He didn't move for several moments, even when the heavens finally opened up and began to pour. The rain chilled him to core and comforted him, offering him the _release _he was longing for.

His eyes slowly blinked open, causing several individual droplets of water to fall from his eyelashes and fall to the muddy ground beneath him. He knew that he was going to catch a cold or perhaps something worse, being that he was without a jacket. Yet, he couldn't _move. _He simply allowed the ice cold water to seep into every pore in his skin, embedding the chill so _deep_, that he was almost certain it would never leave his body.

Suddenly, the cold was interrupted when he felt something hot and unfamiliar roll down his cheeks. He blinked harshly, surprised at the sensation before raising his left hand to hesitantly touch his face. He recoiled instantly, his eyes widening in shock.

…Tears? He was crying?

He hadn't cried since the night Saya died. He remembered the hot water falling down his cheeks in agonizing spasms as he fell into unconsciousness after saving the kids from the exploding tanker, despite having told Sven that he hadn't remembered a thing. Back then, he was still dead set against showing any sort of caring or mercy, except for _her. _She had been the sole exception; she was the one person that had wormed her way into his closed off heart and embraced it, filling him with an unimaginable warmth. He knew that he'd been in love with Saya, although he hadn't realized it until he felt her dying breath in his hands.

Even then, he felt the familiar tightening sensation in his chest that he always got whenever he thought of her dying moments, although it had lessened in pain over the years. He doubted that he would ever truly get over her death, but didn't it matter that at least he _was _still alive, even if she wasn't?

What would she say if she saw him right now? He couldn't help but wonder if she would offer words of encouragement or embrace him lovingly and give him a shoulder to cry on.

But he didn't _want _a shoulder to cry on, despite that his heart was yearning for it with every strong pump it gave. He needed it, yet he couldn't bring himself to ask for it. Asking for support was like laying out your weaknesses for the world to see. He hated it; the mere thought was almost enough to make him retch.

Yet, he couldn't deny the need pulling at his fingertips. He wanted to touch someone and hold someone close to his heart; he wanted to feel comforted and warm as he merely _fell apart _in another's hands. He wanted someone to tell him that everything _was _all right, even though he knew it _wasn't _and…and…

He choked out a small desperate yelp, clenching his eyes shut tightly to hinder the progress of the unwanted tears. It didn't help however; they continued to slip past his eyelids to the ground. Realizing the irony in the situation he was in, he couldn't help but utter a loud and somewhat _insane _sounding laugh.

He looked upon tears as a sign of weakness in himself and had promised in order to maintain his own _sanity _that he'd never cry again. Yet, here he was, drowning in his own weakness.

"T-Train…?"

His laugh slowly dissolved into choked sobs once more and he found himself unable to even turn to acknowledge her. Her timid voice broke through his bought of insanity and the reality of the situation was beginning to dawn on him.

Was he…losing his mind…?

"Train?!" Her voice was pleading this time and Train couldn't help but open his wary and cloudy eyes to stare at her when he detected the frightened vibes dripping off every syllable in his name. The umbrella she'd been holding fell from her delicate fingertips, landing harshly in the trickle of mud that was flowing beneath her feet. Her eyes were open wide in shock and disbelief and she was shaking badly; whether from fear or the biting cold, Train didn't know.

Eve raised her right hand to cover her mouth, fighting the urge to turn and _run_. She wasn't sure what she was running from, but every cell in her body was screaming for her to get the hell out of there and not turn back.

She didn't. She couldn't; she knew she couldn't. This was something she had to face on her own, without Sven's help or Train's for that matter.

For once, maybe he was the one in desperate need of saving…?

He wanted to reach out to her and hold her close to his broken and trembling body, but instead, he forced himself to look away. He hated himself for showing this side to her; the insecurities he was forced to fight every day and the uncertainty that was clawing at his heart.

He seemed to hate a lot of things lately, didn't he?

He was surprised when she didn't utter another word. In fact, there was nothing but complete _silence _for several moments.

Then suddenly, he felt a searing pain erupt from his left cheek, sending him stumbling back several steps. He raised his hand in confusion, his mind only just beginning to register what had happened.

She's slapped him—HARD. She stood less than a foot away from him, her breath leaving her mouth in long, harsh gasps. Her eyes were filled with something he didn't recognize, but he couldn't find the words to inquire further. She was pissed; he could feel the anger and frustration rolling off her in waves and he closed his eyes lightly, almost hoping that she would hit him once more. Perhaps the physical pain would release him from his mental prison?

"Y-You're a fool…" She whispered harshly, a light sob erupting suddenly from her delicate pink lips. She raised a hand to her face, covering her eyes softly as another choked wave of tears began to flow down her cheeks.

He didn't respond. He didn't feel the need too; what use was there in responding when there was nothing that could be said to remedy the situation?

The rain continued to pour serenely, going unnoticed by the two. It was as if it no longer existed; both had long since gone numb from the icy cold anyhow.

Train jumped lightly when the unfamiliar sensation of touch pulled him away from his thoughts, forcing him to look down at her. She was grasping a hold of his short tightly, pressing as close to him as possible. She was so close that he could feel her heart beating in unison with his own, creating a steady rhythm. He found his body shaking, unable to hold in the feelings that pulled down on his heart strings anymore.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her womanly form until there was none but a small breath of space between them, only existing due to the distance between their faces as he buried his nose deep within the comforting junction between her neck and her shoulder. She didn't protest and merely raised her arms to tighten her hold on him, letting his wild and musky scent wash over her. It was unfamiliar yet so _right _at the same time, because it was _him _and Train Heartnet was a wild soul that was meant to run free with the wind. It was so wrong to see him confined and in pain like this.

They stood that way for several minutes until Train's body eventually stilled, allowing the feel of her somewhat smaller body pressing against him to register in his mind. It caused him to feel hot and scared at the same time, yet he couldn't bring himself to deny it. He needed it just as much as he needed _her_.

This scared him. He hadn't needed someone like this before, not even when he'd held Saya in his arms. It hadn't felt like this; so incredibly warm that he felt as if he was _burning _with the need to touch her. Frightened by the sensation, Train gently pushed her away, making sure to refrain from meeting her searching gaze. "Thank you…" He whispered quietly, feeling that if he spoke any louder something inside of him would simply _shatter _and he'd fall to pieces in her embrace.

She merely nodded in response, reaching out timidly to take his hand and tugged at it gently, silently asking him to follow her. He couldn't formulate any sort of verbal response, but managed a shaky nod and allowed her to lead him back to the house.

The umbrella lay forgotten on the wet dirt path.

AN: Wow. O.O Um…what do you think…? *Slightly scared*


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Black Cat in any way, shape, or form! I am merely using the characters for my own amusement. MWAHAHAHA!

AN: OMG! I AM SO SORRY EVERYONE! D: I left you hanging here for so long! You see…I ended up starting and completing another short story…so I was focusing on that and my Warriors fanfic, which WILL be completed soon.

_ "All of my memories keep you here…" –Within Temptation_

Chapter 9: Memories

The walk back to their residence was virtually uneventful. Train had been painfully reminded of his minor leg injury when he accidentally tripped on a stray tree root, but managed to regain his footing due to his amazing cat-like reflexes. Eve had been a little surprised, but had wisely held her tongue.

They finally walked through the door—well, limped in Train's case—about a half an hour later. By then, both were soaked down to their bones and were shivering madly. Eve quickly changed and ran into the kitchen to put some hot tea on the stove while Train trudged up the stairs to his room to change clothes.

He found that it was more difficult to walk up the stairs due to his injury, but managed it without tripping and making a fool of himself. He gently pushed open the door, which seemed to echo eerily in the dark space that he deemed his own. It was lonely and almost seemed empty, despite the random clutter that lay in a few corners. The room wasn't empty, but the air it gave off was a lonely and formidable aura. Train found that he was growing to dislike his room more and more each day, and instead opted to sleep on the rooftop.

After picking out a quick change of clothes, Train stumbled back down the stairs to find Eve setting to steaming glasses of tea on the coffee table. After doing a small double take, Train noticed that she'd brought out the first aid kit as well to treat his injury and couldn't help but smile fondly at her thoughtfulness.

"Here, come sit down." She motioned with her hands for him to sit to her left, and Train obeyed without question. He wordlessly propped his leg up on the empty part of the coffee table, knowing that she'd want to treat his wound first before they talked. She worked quick and efficiently, which meant that she'd learned a lot more about first aid over the years he'd been gone from her life. Of course, since she'd been through school, she'd probably taken a health class.

"There, all set." She sighed in apparent relief, stopping for a moment to trail one pale, nimble hand along the side of his bandaged wound. Train, having been caught by surprise, couldn't help but tremble lightly at the sensation.

Suddenly, Eve straightened up, her eyes shining with determination. "Now, I want you to explain everything. EVERYTHING. Don't leave anything out. What's been going on with you? How on _earth _did you manage to get held hostage in the first place? That's quite unlike you!"

Train sighed heavily, as if weighed down by the burden of the memories he carried. In a way, he supposed he was. After all, throughout his entire life, he'd been through hell and back numerous times. Sure, he was strong, but one person could only take so much.

"Well, Princess…" Train finally spoke up, having contemplated his words for a few moments while her beautiful crimson eyes scrutinized him patiently, "I guess I can't run away anymore, huh?"

"No." She stated simply, taking a moment to tuck a long strand of golden blonde hair behind her ear before speaking once more, her tone becoming hushed and fragile. "I'm really scared…I've never seen you like this before and…it's terrifying, because you're always the one that keeps us together…and now we have to support you…I don't think I was ready for that, to be honest."

He stared blankly at her for a few moments as he contemplated what to say to her. He'd never been one to deal with social situations, as he'd preferred to take the lone route for much of his life. Therefore, he didn't have much experience when it came to effectively sharing his feelings with somebody else.

"Okay…how about…I start off from where I got captured…"

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_"Apples! Get your apples here! Really cheap! Some of the best apples around! Come get your apples-!"_

_Train sighed irritably and tuned out the busy sounds of the market around him and continued trudging half-heartedly along the crumbling cobblestone path. He lept back in surprise when a young child darted in front of him, nearly smashing into his legs._

"_Sowie mistur! I'll be more caweful!" The small girl smiled happily up at him, a natural defense to the anger she probably was used to receiving upon making such a mistake. Train merely grinned down at her however and bent down to ruffle her hair lightly._

"_It's all right! Now, run along, I'm sure that everyone around her isn't as nice as I am!" _

_She smiled up at him once more and darted between his legs to continue skipping along the path in front of her. Train chuckled softly, amused by the cheery disposition the girl held. If only he'd been like her when he was little…_

_He hurriedly shook those thoughts from his mind, knowing that remising over the past wouldn't do him any good. He'd made up his mind on that a long time ago, but it becomes harder to shake thoughts like those from your mind when you isolate yourself from everybody else…_

"_Eyyaaahhhh! Help me please!" Train whirled around instantly, his senses immediately zeroing in on the source of the fragile scream. Nearby, group of thugs were holding up a vendor, obviously using the mans daughter as a hostage. _

_Train didn't need any other invitation to get involved. Quickly, he sprang on his heels and lept across a terrified crowd of onlookers, who'd probably been threatened, hence why they weren't running away screaming. He landed perfectly behind the first thug, who was obviously the leader of the group. The man had barely a second to blink in confusion before Train's fist smashed into his face and sent him flying into the nearest building._

"_What the hell?! Who do you think you are punk?!" One of the men shouted angrily. Train took a moment to size up his opponents. There were about six of them and all looked well muscles and trained, despite being skinny and obviously malnourished. They'd probably attacked the vendor in the hopes of getting a free meal._

"_Well…this looks like fun!" Train commented sarcastically under his breath, suddenly deciding to make his move. In the blink of an eye, he'd darted behind one of the other men and kicked him harshly in the jaw, his hand leaning dangerously close to Hades' holster. He was about to whip his gun out and smash it into the nearest thug's face, when a loud crack sounded through the air._

"_Don't move!" Train whirled around in shock, his eyes widening in horror once he'd realized the reality of the situation. The man holding the little girl had swiped a gun from one of the passerby's and currently held it cocked at the toddler's head. Her large brown eyes were wide in fear and she began to tremble as small, hopeless sobs escaped her chapped and bloodied lips._

"_Shut up, you little brat!" She cried out in shock when the man pressed the gun directly to her skin, letting her feeling the cold metal of the weapon. "Now…everyone give me their money and we'll split without harming the girl!"_

_She raised her eyes to look into Train's, as if knowing somehow that he was there to help her. For the first time, he managed to get a good look at the girl, and was shocked at what he saw._

_She was wearing a small, hand-made yukuta with beautiful pink roses painted painstakingly into the white fabric. Several dirt and grass stains littered her clothes, indicating that she'd probably been wearing the outfit for a while. Her family was probably to afford another change of clothes._

_But what shocked him the most wasn't how familiar her clothes looked. Oh no…it was her _face. _Her __**eyes. **__The deep brown color of her eyes was different from the shining green he'd once known, but he knew they were one in the same. They held the same expression of hope and trust. Her face was almost a perfect replica, marred only by the dried mud and blood that stained her left cheek._

'_**Saya…' **__Train thought numbly, staring into her eyes. It was as if everything had stopped around them, and they were the only ones there. Behind her scared expression, recognition flickered in her eyes. She didn't show any outward signs of recognizing him however, dampening any small hopes Train might have had. _

'She's…been reborn…Saya…' _Suddenly, he made up his mind._

_"Don't worry, I'll save you!" Tapping in to his trained abilities, Train lept gracefully off of one foot into the air, whipping out Hades in a mere second and tightened his hold on the trigger until a bullet buzzed past the man's head, startling him effectively enough to drop the small, squirming child in his arms._

_Screaming in terror, the girl darted in between the legs of the other men that attempted to grab her and hid in the crowd of people. Train smirked light in triumph before turning to attack the man once more, only to find that he was no longer there._

"_What-?" He barely had time to think before he was whacked harshly in the back of the head with what he'd later identified as a steel bar. He gasped harshly as blood began to drip down into places that it shouldn't be, instantly realizing that he would be soon suffering internal bleeding._

"_D-damn…" He choked softly and coughed once he hit the ground, noticing with unease that more of the crimson liquid was leaking from his mouth._

_He'd only been able to register his surroundings for a few seconds before the spots of black began to engulf his vision. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was one of thugs gasp and point at his tattoo, screaming in fear._

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

"So…you left yourself be caught off guard because of a little girl? That's not like you!" Eve pointed out, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. Train merely shrugged his shoulders heavily, hesitating for a moment before answering.

"I was just…_shocked _I guess. I mean…seeing her again…but not her…"

"Well, how do you know that it was her?" Eve pointed out, crossing her arms sternly over her chest.

"Her expression…it was the same one…that always…made me believe in her." Train stated after a moment, his eyes shining with such an intense melancholy that Eve had never seen before. Feeling a little bad for bringing up such memories, Eve reached out to gently enclose her hand over his slightly larger one, merely smiling at him when he turned to stare at her in shock.

"So…finish up. What's been happening these past weeks?"

AN: Okay, short chapter, but at least I cleared SOMETHING up.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime or manga by the name of "Black Cat". Fortunately, if I did, Train x Eve would have been the main pairing. There also would be a sequel to the series containing these events that I am displaying here. Since this obviously doesn't happen…well…common sense people.

AN: Okay, once again…sorry for lack of updates. I haven't been writing lately. I literally have a to do list with all my anime stuff on it. I have to clip episodes, finish AMVS for contests, upload documents to mediafire, clip movies, etc…it's so tiring! I also need to find a free DIVX conversion program…God this is annoying! D: Grr…Anyway, enjoy this chapter.

_"Hold me down sweet and low little girl…" –Augustana_

Chapter 10: Sweet and Low

Feeling an insane warmth rush through his fingertips at her seemingly innocent touch, Train gulped silently and let out a shaky breath, doing his best to focus on what he was supposed to be saying, rather than the radiance of the beautiful woman sitting next to him. Her eyes were shining with reassurance, although she was obviously confused by his sudden pause.

'_Damnit…' _He shook his head lightly to rid himself of the sensation and quickly turned away from her, making sure to avoid her gaze at all costs should he fall victim to her stare once more. "Well…it's complicated…"

"I've got the time." Eve stated simply, pushing down every hope that Train had somewhat ignorantly held on to that he wouldn't have to tell her what was on his mind. Of course this was beyond ridiculous, as he would have had to tell her one-day, but he really didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to ask for help…yet, he did. It was scary how jumbled his thoughts had become these days.

"Well, I've been having a series of nightmares…which…honestly are more like…being tortured inside your own mind." He turned to see her expression, finding a silent comfort that although a flicker of alarm flashed in her eyes, she didn't say a word to disrupt him in any way. "They've been keeping me from getting a decent nights sleep…and on top of that, they only seem to get worse as time goes on…"

"Why don't you describe some?" Eve offered, squeezing his hand once more. Train contemplated for a few moments, before nodding slightly.

"I suppose that it couldn't hurt…" Eve smiled up at him, happy that he was finally opening up to her.

"Well?"

He took a deep breath as he silently decided where to begin, and then began reciting some of his more terrifying nightmares.

"I'd have to say…the one that affected me the most would have to be the one that Creed was in…he was holding me hostage and rambling on and on about how I was a killer at heart…not a sweeper. I got mad and tried to get away from him, but I couldn't. Then, there were these people that I didn't know…they…called me a 'monster'…"

Recognition flickered in Eve's eyes as realization dawned upon her: this was why he'd taken the criminal's words so badly.

"Anyway, I ignored them for a while…but then, they disappeared and the next thing I saw was…Sven…dying and cursing my name…I tried to get to him, but Creed wouldn't let me…but then everything just disappeared and I suddenly heard Creed's voice…saying that he would save me from 'the witch', which is what he called…Saya…" Train growled lightly under his breath. Sure, he got along quite well with Creed now that he'd outgrown his temporary insane obsession with being his partner, but the memories of back then still seeped under his skin and shoved him the wrong way. "So, I turned around and expected to see him standing over her dead body…like that night…but…"

"But?" She inquired, scooting a little closer to his side, in her own way showing that she was there for him. Train sent a shaky glance in her direction before finishing.

"I…I turned and…it wasn't Saya…it was…it was…"

"Who was it, Train?"

"It was you…you princess, it was you…" Train finished softly, and Eve gasped lightly, unsure how she was supposed to react to this. She jumped lightly when she felt Train return the small pressure on her hand for the first time, sending a short glance in her direction before turning away once more.

"I've never…been more frightened in my life…for two terrible seconds…I thought I was going to lose you…the last thing I remember was screaming your name before I woke up…"

"W-wow…" She answered timidly, taking a small sip of her almost discarded drink. "Do you think that this might have something to do with the torture you were put through when you were captured?"

Train contemplated her theory for a few seconds before nodding numbly. "It's quite possible. They did drug me quite a few times while I was there…honestly, I'm surprised that I lived to tell the tale; most people would have been dead by then."

"But you're not like most people." Eve pointed out, sending him an apologetic glance when he flinched lightly, taking her words in a way she hadn't intended. "You know that I don't mean it like that, Train. What I mean is this: you're strong. You have the courage and strength of some of the most skilled warriors in history…you're really amazing…kind of like…"

She stopped for a second, letting her thought trail off. A light blush covered her cheeks as she contemplated what she was going to say.

A knight in shining armor?

"Like…what?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion when she turned away from him, embarrassed by her own thoughts.

"Well…um…" She bit her lip nervously, silently wondering why her gut was fluttering around in circles. She wasn't sick…and she was sure that it wasn't caused by the embarrassment that she was feeling…

"Yes?" She jumped and glanced in his direction; surprised to see a light and teasing expression fall across his face. She smiled softly, although it was quickly concealed. At the very least she'd found a way to cheer him up a bit.

"Um…a…knight in shining armor?"

"…" He was silent for a few moments. Eve nervously played with her hands, pulling the one that had been touching him back into her lap. She silently prepared for the questions that she was going to be asked…but was surprised when she got none. Startled, she turned and was shocked at what she saw.

His eyes were staring at the opposite wall, obviously trying to avoid her gaze. They were wide with wonder and confusion and Eve couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever seen such a childish expression on Train's face before. Even as she watched, a small blush broke across his face, staining the pale skin of his cheeks with their delicate pink hue.

"Am I…_your _knight…in shining armor?" He questioned after a moment, turning to glance at her. "Is that what you see me as? Don't you realize that with all that I've done, that I shouldn't even be allowed to _live_? Princess, I'm no hero."

Her eyes widened in shock, her mind struggling to register what he'd said to her. He'd degraded himself as if he was just some _criminal _that deserved to be punished. Sure, he'd been lead onto the wrong path and made mistakes, but that wasn't the actions of a _criminal_.

It was the actions of a _human_.

"I'm an assassin too…" Train wouldn't have heard her, had he not been straining his ears for a response. He turned to face her completely, regret tugging at his heart with every breath he took. Her bangs covered her eyes completely, so he was unable to see her expression, but he could tell what she was feeling.

Hurt. Solid, hurt. Train regretted saying those words to her back then. He'd been so closed off from everything, including the feelings of his saviors. In the end, he'd accidentally scarred the one who'd been caring for him with his careless words.

"I…I'm sorry…" He apologized softly, feeling a little stupid for apologizing. Sure, he was more than sure that he should have apologized before, but wasn't it a meaningless apology now that it had been over and done with for so long?

"You misunderstand me." Eve stated bluntly, raising her eyes to meet his suddenly. "What I mean is, don't you think I feel your pain? In case you've forgotten, I was used to kill as well. I know full well what you're feeling right now, Train."

"But then…"

"No, listen." Eve raised her hand as a signal for silence, shutting the former assassin up immediately. "You see, you just followed the wrong path. Train, that shows that you're _human_, not a monster." He went to interrupt her, but a sharp glare in his direction silenced him. "Secondly, haven't you been making up for all that you've done by living out your life as a sweeper? Isn't that what you said? Isn't that the kind of life that you sentenced to Creed? Doesn't the fact that you're now semi CIVIL with the man say anything to you about who you really are? I know that it's overwhelming sometimes, but it's at those times that you need to suck up your pride…" She jabbed her finger several times at the place on his chest where she knew his heart was, watching him flinch every time. "…And open this mouth!" She finished, flicking him on the nose lightly, a small smile on her face.

He stared at her in shock for a few moments before allowing a small smile to grace his face in return, his eyes sparkling with something that she hadn't seen there for a long time.

Genuine happiness.

She couldn't be more ecstatic to see that expression on his face after it's absence for so long.

"I'll help you from now on, okay?" She smiled reassuringly at him, grabbing his unfinished drink as well as her own and heading toward the kitchen.

Never once did she notice the way that his deep, molten eyes stared hungrily after her retreating form.

**AN: I know, another short chapter. But this is the second half of the other one. The rest will be full length, I promise.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat in any shape or form. I am merely a rabid fan of this wonderful anime and manga, and wish to express my somewhat obsessive love for this series through fanworks…I'm still working on getting the hang of fanart, unfortunately…**

**Wow…an update so quick. Why? Well…my computer? Well…let's just say that it's…just a little screwed up right now. XD It won't play any sort of video or mp3…so most of what distracted me is gone. I AM listening to music, but it's random, as it is on the radio. Therefore, it isn't as distracting as it would be if I were listening to my favorite songs over and over again in Media Player. **

**Now…this chapter. This is where things start of heat up…as in…romance. This fic will start to lean toward some romance. I've noticed that several of you are complaining that there are no lemons for this pairing…well, there is one…but, we need more! There WILL be a lemon in this story! However, I will post a valid warning at the top for those of you that would like to avoid it. I know that lemons are not everyone's cup of tea, and I respect that. However, I love to portray them in my stories. I don't write them like most authors do (or at least, most of what I've seen). I do my best to incorporate the genuine love they feel for each other in the scene, rather than base the whole thing upon lust. It honestly upsets me that so many people do this. Some lust it great, but we need some love and PASSION. Good god…we need some of that. Anyway, enough of my rant, although feel free to comment on it so we can discuss it. On with the story.**

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_ "You stand by me, and believe in me, like nobody ever has…" – Tim McGraw_

Chapter 11: My Best Friend

About a week later, Sven finally managed to wriggle his way out of the hospital. He still bore a cast on his right arm, which hindered some of his daily activities. Due to this, he was still unable to help with the sweeping business, which still left Train and Eve in charge of making enough money to survive.

Although tremendously happy that his partner had returned safe and sound, Train was more than a little anxious with the older man's constant presence. He had grown used to Eve's company and warmth, which he knew that she was hesitant to show in front of Sven, due to his overprotective habits. He'd tried to get her alone a few times so he could talk to her about the things that were on his mind---everything from dreams, to the latest criminal they'd caught. However, he grew increasingly aggravated when he realized that their every move would be seen or heard by the elderly sweeper.

Grumbling irritably under his breath, Train sighed softly and curled up into a comfortable position on the couch. Sven sat in the chair across from him, sipping heartily at a cup of steaming hot coffee, although with slight difficulty. Eve was busying herself amongst the kitchen, tidying cupboards, washing dishes, and preparing the food they would eat that evening. Sven had offered to help, but the somewhat temperamental blonde had determinedly shoved her adoptive father out of the kitchen, threatening to use a metal hammer should he persist in helping her.

Sven had been put out for a little while, but Train had found the scene absolutely hilarious. When frustrated or angry, Eve's cheeks would light up with color, and she often bore a somewhat silly pout that would make even the stoniest man want to hug her tight. Train would often irritate her on purpose just to see that beautiful flush on her face, although he'd never admit to such out loud. A dirty little secret, if you will.

God, he loathed it.

He wasn't supposed to gaze at her like he was. From the corner of his eye, he watched her every move like a hawk. He'd tried so many times, but he just couldn't pull his gaze away from the beautiful woman as she scurried about the kitchen.

He wanted to blame it on his hormones, after all, he _was _a man; checking out a woman every once in a while was just human nature and he sure as hell wasn't going to try and plead innocent in the matter. He was _far _from innocent, especially when it came to the vigorous woman that he'd once tried to kill. He always found himself gazing at her, despite his resolve to not do so. It was frustrating, but eventually, Train merely stopped fighting the urge to watch her. It wasn't as if he was doing her any harm…right?

He bit his lip gently as he continued observing, watching as she leaned thoughtfully against the counter, reaching over to adjust the temperature of the stove. She squeaked in surprise, although against her will, when she accidentally turned the knob in the wrong direction, causing the fire to rise high instead of down lower like she wanted. Quickly correcting her mistake, Eve's cheeks began to glow bright red, showing that was obviously deeply embarrassed that she'd made such a silly mistake.

How could someone so deadly…be so damn _beautiful?!_ As far as Train was concerned, it went against every scientific principle that he'd ever known. Not that he'd ever been very good at science, but he still didn't believe it.

"It's almost ready!" Eve called from the kitchen, snapping Train from his somewhat straying thoughts. Sven laughed joyfully and commented on the smell of the food, while Train shifted uncomfortably from where he lay, embarrassed with the direction that his thoughts had taken. He could feel her eyes scrutinizing him from the doorway, but did his best to ignore the nervous shiver running throughout his body.

Why the hell was he feeling this way? He could feel every beat of his heart suddenly, as if his senses had increased ten fold. Every pump of blood echoed in his ears, so loudly that he almost didn't hear the audible gulp that he released, trying to swallow down the sudden anxious feeling.

Her presence faded abruptly from the room, saying that she'd probably abandoned his strange behavior for the time being in order to save their meal from burning to an inedible crisp on the stove. He had no doubts that she would drill him about it the first chance she got to however, so he immediately began thinking of some answers to questions he'd surely get.

'_Were you feeling sick?'_

'_Did you have another dream last night?'_

'_Did Sven piss you off or say something that upset you?'_

He snorted lightly under his breath, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to spill from his lips as the last question crossed his mind. He couldn't help but picture her glowering at Sven for making an irritating comment or whatnot. The mental image was extremely amusing.

Sven yawned widely, and Train grinned deviously, a treacherous thought running through his head.

"Sven, you lazy ass! You've been sitting around all day and you're yawning like you haven't slept in weeks!" He grinned once more and dodged the shoe that was meant for his face, laughing when he caught a glimpse of Sven's irritated expression. "What's the matter, can't catch me old man?!"

"I'M NOT AN OLD MAN, I'M A GENTLEMAN!"

"Sure you are, gramps."

"DON'T CALL ME 'GRAMPS'!"

Eve sighed heavily and shook her head in exasperation. Honestly, she'd never met a bunch of so completely immature people in her life! If she wasn't so thoroughly used to their loud presence by then, she was sure that her somewhat annoying partners would have driven her crazy.

"Food's ready!" She called loudly, her voice barely audible above the loud arguing in the room. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation, showing that her patience was clearly at its limit.

"I SAID, THE FOOD'S READY!" She snapped louder, marching over to the two arguing men and dragging them forcefully into the kitchen, although mindfully avoiding both of their healing injuries.

"Ugh…Eve!"

"Hey, ow ow ow! Not so hard, Princess!" Almost immediately, she felt some of her resolve to be angry dissolve on the spot. Especially when she noticed that he'd dropped the 'little' in her nickname. It made her feel more appreciated in his eyes.

Reluctantly releasing both men from her grasp, Eve 'humphed' loudly in irritation and proceeded to grab a plate for herself, knowing that the boys were perfectly able to serve themselves. As suspected, both hungrily dug into their meal.

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Train sighed contently as he once more snuggled up on the couch, his eyes drooping lazily. Gentle snores echoed around the room, given off by the elderly sweeper, who had fallen asleep rather quickly after eating. Perhaps he really had been exhausted?

Eve was once again busying herself in the kitchen, doing her best to keep the noise down as to avoid waking her adoptive father. Train couldn't help but smile softly at her concern, knowing that she'd probably do the same for him had he been napping on the couch. It was so sweet of her.

Realizing suddenly that he finally had a chance to be somewhat alone with her, Train reluctantly pulled his protesting body to his feet and strode hesitantly into the kitchen.

She was just drying the last of the dishes when he walked in, stopping for a moment to watch him dig through the fridge for a bottle of milk before returning to her previous task.

It was silent for a few moments as Eve contemplated what to say. Train had taken it upon himself to gulp down his milk immediately, making a satisfied sound in the back of his throat when he finished the bottle. Eve smiled lightly in amusement, having heard the sound, but it quickly vanished when she remembered her true objective.

"Earlier…you were acting weird…" She threw out suddenly, leaning against the counter so she could stare lazily out the window, her chin resting on her right hand. "Why?"

"I…" Suddenly, it seemed that every excuse that he could have used was shot down. He couldn't remember any of them. Cursing himself silently, Train ran a hand through his untidy hair, somewhat startled to find his hair damp with nervous sweat. "I…don't know…"

"…You don't…know?" She raised her brow questioningly at him, dropping her hand so that she could gaze at him directly, a stern look crossing her features. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It told you! I don't know! I'm not some kind of poet! I can't describe or even fathom the reason why I would even begin to feel that way-"

"Feel what way?" She abruptly interrupted him, her eyes narrowing in suspicion when she noticed a look of panic flash in his eyes.

'_Shit…SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!!!' _He must have looked like an idiot as he stood there mentally beating himself up, but he couldn't really bring up the strength to care. He merely looked away, unable to form any coherent words.

Curious about his silence, Eve slowly walked to stand in front of him, one pale hand reaching out to grasp his cheek and turn his gaze gently to face her. Against her will, she found that her breath froze in her throat when their eyes locked and she was hit with so many different emotions at once. His eyes were shining with guilt, pleading, and something that she couldn't identify. It was almost a needy gaze, although somewhat toned down…

"T-Train?"

He tried to focus on her voice. He really did. However, it quickly proved to be too difficult for him once he realized just what position they were standing in. He hadn't moved from his position near the fridge, which was sectioned against another wall to the left of it. He was still standing in front of that wall, with her cornering him against it, although he was sure that it wasn't her intention.

"Train, you're scaring me." She stated bluntly, moving to grab a hold of his cheek with her other hand as well. "Please talk to me?"

Finally giving into the temptation that tugged so persistently at his fingertips, Train raised a trembling hand to cup the pale skin of her cheek gently, feeling an almost inaudible gasp fill her lungs as he touched her.

A tug pulled at his chest, telling him that he needed to be closer. He tried to ignore it, but every second that his fingers lingered against her skin it became unbearable; the nervous and fiery sensation in his chest grew stronger, until he couldn't concentrate on anything else. It felt as if he was being suffocated by her presence, yet he yearned for it so deeply that it scared him.

In the end, he gave in to the desire and leaned forward slowly until his forehead rested against the fabric covering her shoulder from view, his heart speeding up considerably when he caught a whiff of her scent. He could feel her body tremble lightly beneath his touch, causing the feeling to rise to the front once more.

Gasping softly for breath, he allowed his fingers to run tenderly down her side until they rested against her hips, tightening his hold on her until he could embrace her properly. He nuzzled her neck instinctively, trembling a little himself when she made a barely audible sound in response. Feeling a little bolder, he softly brushed his lips against her chin.

"T-Train?"

He suddenly snapped back to reality. He jerked audibly and leap back as far as he could, accidentally smacking his head harshly against the wall behind him. She immediately moved to ask if he was all right, but he quickly shoved past her and raced for the door, not caring that he slammed it loud enough to wake his napping partner.

He ran for a few minutes until he came to a deserted spot in the small patch of woods surrounding their hide out, collapsing weakly in the dirt once he was sure that he wasn't be followed.

He held his head with both of his trembling hands, a nervous expression crossing his face.

"I…I kissed her…"

What the hell had he done?!

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**God, I hope I got that scene right. D: Please review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the anime and manga entitled "Black Cat." I am merely a fan expressing my love in the form of fanfiction, which may or may not include manipulating the characters into strange situations and pairings.**

**All right. Another update. I started to write this on paper…but then ended up saying 'fuck it' and started typing it when I got bored. I've really been writing a lot more since my computer started messing up…anyway…**

**This chapter is mostly writing itself. The lemon won't be for a few chapters, so this is basically innocent romance here. Once this story is over, I have quite a few Black Cat stories planned, but most of them are either AU, or are Creed x Train…lol I plan on getting some great stories on this site! Anyway, enjoy this chapter while I'm on my writing spree! :D**

"_Cause I want you, and I feel you, crawling underneath my skin…" – Nick Lachey_

Chapter 12: What's Left Of Me

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_Train gasped in pain as it raced down his spine, abruptly cutting off his harsh breathing. He tried to move, but found that he was strangely immobile; it felt as if invisible chains of hard cold steel were binding him. Suddenly, the strong reek of blood assaulted his senses, causing a flutter of panic to arise within his chest._

_It took him a moment to realize that it was __**his **__blood. His beautiful honey eyes widened when he noticed the thick red substance that was dripping from his hands and arms, legs, from __**everywhere**__? A stab of fear flowed through him and he glanced around, at the very least trying to figure out where he was. However, the only things that he could see were blood and darkness. _

_Suddenly, there was a strange plop down below him. Driven by shock, he glanced down immediately, only to gasp in shock._

_**Skin**__._

_Resisting the urge to retch, he shakily raised his hand to touch his cheek._

_**BONE.**_

_He screamed._

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Train lept off of his bed and ran to his mirror, shakily turning on the light and leaning his wet forehead against the cool, smooth glass.

Normal.

Sighing in relief, Train sank down the distance to the floor, clutching at his aching chest desperately. He could feel his heart beating quickly beneath his fingertips, causing his chest to constrict tightly with panic. He gasped, doing is best to pull the air that he so badly needed into his weeping lungs.

"Train?!" He couldn't muster up the strength to look at her as she knelt down next to him, frantically trying to get him to calm down. "Train!"

"Train, you're having a panic attack; calm down!" Sven's voice broke his stupor and Train's eyes snapped open. Eve pulled away slightly, frightened by his diluted pupils ad somewhat insane appearance.

"God Train, what happened?" Sven spoke once more, kneeling down beside him as well. "We heard you screaming."

Train tried to reply, but found that he still couldn't breathe properly. His eyes fluttered closed again as he clutched tightly at his chest, gasping as pain continued to rip through his lungs.

"Train…" Suddenly, two soft hands pried his fingers from their tight prison, raising a hand afterward to gently caress his damp cheek.

Gasping when realization pulsed through him, Train suddenly began focusing on the desperate feeling that her touch ignited within him. Unconsciously, he raised one of his hands to cover hers, opening his eyes to stare into hers as his heart beat calmed a bit.

"Hey, are you all right?" Sven asked once more, unknowingly disturbing the moment. Train nodded numbly, not taking his eyes off of Eve's beautiful ruby orbs for a mere second to glance at the elderly sweeper.

"Yeah…just another…disturbing nightmare…"

Eve's eyes widened in understanding while Sven merely continued to look confused. As far as he knew, Train didn't have nightmares very often.

"Sven, why don't you go back to bed? I'll handle this." Eve suddenly spoke; tugging at Train's sweaty hands until he shakily stood and unsteadily made his way toward the kitchen.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." She stated, following Train down the stairs. Sven stared after them for a few moments before following Eve's wishes and heading back to his room for some much needed sleep.

When Eve found Train once more, he was leaning heavily against the counter, a bottle of water in hand. "What, no milk? That's not like you."

"Not exactly the best thing when you have an upset stomach, Princess." Train stated, taking a slow, hesitant sip of his water. "God…that nightmare was…"

"Was it really graphic?" She asked, moving to stand next to him.

Train nodded, suddenly reminded of his other persistent problem when her scent assaulted his senses. Wasn't she even a little nervous? He'd kissed her earlier…even if it was only on the chin; he knew that if he had been allowed to continue, he would have attacked her with his lips.

Feeling the need to touch her once more, he absently moved a few inches away from her, sighing in relief when the need ebbed a bit. "It was…really bloody…my skin was falling off my face…"

She grimaced, "That sounds really disgusting…"

"Believe me, it was." He replied, taking another sip of his water. "Wonder what brought this one on…"

"Train, maybe we should start looking into some stuff. Maybe those drugs that those thugs used on you messed with your…" She stopped abruptly. She'd been aiming to say, 'mind', but was unsure whether or not Train would find that offensive.

"Spare me, I already know that I'm losing my damn mind." Train snapped suddenly, lifting his gaze to send her a heated glare. She stepped back in response, having not expected him to react so cold toward her.

"Train, you're not losing your mind…I'm just suggesting that we look into it. I'm really worried about you! Whatever is going on, it's practically _killing _you! How long do you expect me to sit here and watch that…" She trailed off at the end, abruptly turning away from him.

Train glanced at her questioningly, setting his bottle on the counter so that he could gently turn her around by her shoulders. He was surprised to find the beginning of tears sparkling in her eyes, which she'd desperately tried to hide from him.

"Eve…God, I'm sorry." Unable to resist the urge, he pulled her gently into an embrace, laying his head on the junction between her neck and shoulder. "I'm such an asshole…"

"Train…really, it's okay." Train sighed softly when he felt her fingers run gently through his cinnamon colored hair, stopping to twirl a few strands between her fingers. "You didn't do anything wrong…you have every right to react the way you did."

"No…I'm _always _saying things like that…I'm always the one that hurts you…I'm so glad that you don't strike out immediately with violence anymore when you get angry…" He chuckled lightly, although it was an empty action. "Maybe it would be better if…I left again."

"No!" He was surprised when she responded venomously, shoving him back a few inches so that she could glare into his eyes. "Don't even say that! Do you have _any _idea what that would do to us?! We need you, Train!"

"But all I do is piss you off and get us in trouble." Train said after a moment. Suddenly, his head snapped to the side as Eve lost it. He raised his hand hesitantly to his cheek, which was reddening from the force of the slap that she'd given him. Her cheeks were flaming red from anger as she stood in front of him, her body shaking with suppressed emotions.

"Don't ever say that. Never." Eve snapped, her eyes suddenly softening a little as she raised a hand to gently cup Train's injured cheek. "God Train, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have hit you so hard…you're already not feeling well as it is…"

"Nah, it's okay Princess." His eyes sparkled with a little bit of amusement, taking her by surprise. "After hanging out with you for how long now, I've become quite used to this."

She glared at him, not amused by his comment. He merely chuckled, shaking his head softly. "Seriously though…thanks, I really needed that."

Eve pouted slightly, although silently relieved that he was starting to sound a little better. "You are and always will be, a jackass. You know that?"

"Yeah, yeah. So you've told me."

"Hmph." Eve sighed heavily once she realized that Train would probably be unable to sleep through the rest of the night after this. She glanced at the clock quickly, to find that it was close to two in the morning. Sighing once more, she reached forward to grasp Train's hands and tugged him lightly toward the door. "Come on, it shouldn't be too cold out tonight. Let's go out to the roof."

He perked up suddenly at the mention of his favorite place and followed her, although keeping his pace slow so that he could continue to grasp her pale hand in his, he admitted guiltily to himself. He would really have to avoid touching her from now on if it drove him this crazy…

When they stepped outside, a warm breeze flowed past them, causing a smile to break out on Train's face. "It's a nice night…."

"Yeah, it is." Eve replied simply, closing her eyes to absorb the familiar sensation of the white angel wings sprouting from her back. Train looked on in awe, silently committing the image to memory. In her blue nightgown, she truly looked as if she'd fallen from the heavens.

"Now, was that really necessary?" Train questioned as she flew up to the roof, which really wasn't that far off the ground. "There's a ladder here for a reason, you know?"

"I would have probably fallen off…since I'm still half asleep." She stated, her wings disappearing.

Train rolled his eyes before simply leaping up onto the roof, not bothering with the ladder at all. He landed gracefully on the shingles despite his stiff limbs and settled down into a comfortable position.

"I'll be pissed if it starts raining…" Eve muttered, glancing down at her thin nightgown, silently thankful that she was wearing something underneath it; she'd never live it down if Train and Sven were to see her in her cleavage.

"I think that I'm rubbing off on you just a little too much…" Train chuckled, staring off into the darkness. "You know, I used to sit up on the roof all the time with a white cat when I was still in Chronos…I'd just be sitting there drinking milk and she'd appear out of nowhere…"

"A white cat, huh? The black cat…and the white cat…" Eve murmured, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees. "Train…was…Saya your white cat?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that he'd stiffened beside her, a look of shock crossing his features.

It was silent for a few moments before Eve spoke once more. "Train…why did you lie to Sven back then?"

"Because…I didn't want to think about…what could have happened if she didn't die." Train admitted quietly. "I kept seeing Jenos and Rinslet interact…and it made me think…and I hated it. I didn't want to think about that…so, I lied to Sven because he would have kept questioning me if I didn't."

Eve absorbed it all quietly, feeling her heart sink with every word. _'So…he still loves her…but then why did he…?'_

"Train, why did you kiss me?" There, she'd finally gathered the courage to ask the question that has been plaguing her all day.

He was silent for a while, his eyes glossing over with thought. Then, he finally answered her. "I…I wanted to…I've wanted to for a while now."

Eve's heart skipped a beat and she absently raised a hand to settle it, feeling her breathing quicken slightly too. She swallowed nervously, feeling a warm emotion claw at her chest as if threatening to escape. She wanted to reach out to the man before her and take him in her arms…but she forced herself to hold back, knowing that she'd have to ask something else first.

"Can I…be your…white cat?" She asked timidly after a moment, holding her breath absently when his eyes snapped back to look at her, shock adorning his features.

"Eve…?" A strange sensation pumped through her veins at the usage of her real name and she swallowed heavily, doing her best to talk through the large lump in her throat.

"I want to…I know that I can't replace her…but…can I…heal the wound she left behind…?"

'_Is this…really happening…?' _Train frantically questioned inside his head, resisting the ridiculous urge to pinch himself to make sure that he hadn't fallen asleep on the roof. _'This isn't a dream…holy shit…'_

Finally snapping out of his shock, he allowed his eyes to take her in once more. She looked truly stunning as the moon's rays washed across her form, bathing her skin with a somewhat unnatural color. Suddenly, determination flowed through his being, overriding every other thought.

Eve gasped as she was suddenly pulled backward against his chest, having not heard him crawl up behind her. "Train…?"

"You have no idea…how much I needed to hear that." He breathed, burying his face in her collarbone. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, pulling her flush against him.

"Your heart's…beating really fast." Eve stated after a moment, a light blush adorning her cheeks.

"Really? I wonder why…"

Eve smiled softly, scooting a bit forward so that she could turn herself around to face him. "I'd like to find out…?"

Train was quiet for a second before his eyes fluttered closed with a gentle sigh and a soft smile spread across his face. "Of course…_my _Princess."

Pride coursed through her at his new nickname. The fact that he valued her enough to call her his…

Suddenly, she realized that their faces were inches apart. She closed her eyes in anticipation, instinct pulling her in. Train breathed softly across her lips for a few moments, readying himself for the final test…the final length he'd go through to prove that he'd moved on…

He kissed her.

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**Eh, so a few of you are probably like, UGH. Gushy…romance…scenes…EEYAH! Well, I DO LOVE to describe EVERYTHING. So…for those that don't like descriptions…you'd either better leave this fic now, or deal with it somehow…because that's how I write! I like to read the descriptive scenes, and I like to write them. It's just my style! –Shrugs-**

**I got a little…carried away with this chapter. Lol I started typing…and then I suddenly couldn't stop.**

**Also, a quick explanation. Believe it or not, Train's nightmare is actually a real one that ****I ****had when I was little. I think I'd just finished watching a horror movie, and then when I fell into the land of dreams, I suddenly found myself standing in front of my bathroom sink, with the skin on my face falling off. It was even scarier when I looked into the mirror and found a skull looking back at me…I'm still scared shitless of skulls to be honest. That dream scarred me for life…**

**Well, enough of my useless ranting…I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to drop a review before you leave! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat, or any of its fantastic characters. If I did, Train and Eve would be dating, and there would be a Train arc where he completely loses his mind (sort of like this). Why? Cause I like reading things like that…and writing it too, apparently.**

**So…I would just like to take a moment to thank my 8 reviewers! :) Thanks to: Sara_Person, da archer, realityfling18, Mythirl Maiden, Black cat lovers, Jacen Starslayer, Koji Ryuzaki, and Shiro Anubis! :D Your reviews mean a lot to me, so I encourage you to continue reviewing! It keeps a writer sane! (I could definitely use a large dose of sanity my way, so…yeah. Lol)**

**So, I'm not going to lie, this is only here this early because I really need to write. D: It's…strange…I woke up this morning with this overwhelming need to write…and write and write! O.o It's kind of scary…but good for you! Lol I was going to work on one of my YuGiOh Gx works first, but decided to update my current works before working on those…I also might pump out a Black Cat one-shot really soon on my main account, KyoxSakifan, so I urge you to keep a look out for that also.**

**Oh dear, I'm so terribly sorry for making you read this long AN. D: Please excuse my annoying habit and continue on to the story!**

"_Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding…fall into your sunlight…" –Trading Yesterday_

Chapter 13: Shattered

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They didn't bother to leave the rooftop until around five. By this time, the sun was already showing signs of its beginning decent into the sky. Normally, Train would have stopped to watch it, having always found some of nature's smallest miracles interesting to watch. However, his eyes were drooping every few seconds due to his lack of efficient slumber, and he found himself yearning for just a few hours of deep, undisturbed sleep.

When they got inside, he made to go back to his bedroom, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find that Eve was tugging him in the other direction toward the couch. He sent her a questioning glance, but she merely smiled gently at him and tugged him over to the plush cushions.

Giving in, Train settled into a comfortable position and stretched out, grinning lightly in amusement when the tips of his socks bent over the other end of the couch. He sighed softly, wondering absently if he should even bother trying to go back to sleep. Suddenly, he felt the couch dip a little and a lightweight pressed against his side. Startled, his eyes fluttered open, only to be obscured by waves upon waves of long flowing blonde locks. He smiled gently and wrapped his arms around her.

"You sure, Princess? Sven will freak if he finds us like this."

She didn't even bother to look at him. Instead, she busied her fingers by absently playing with the fabric of his shirt. "Let him rant. We'll have to tell him anyway."

Train laughed lightly, pulling her up a little closer so that he could plant a small kiss on her lips. "I think that it will shock the poor man to death when he realizes that his little girl's grown up."

Eve shook her head with the best of her ability, and sighed softly, snuggling up as close to him as she could possibly manage. Sure, it was slightly uncomfortable, but it was also really warm…after contemplating for a few moments, Eve smiled when she realized that she really did enjoy being in his arms. She would even stretch out on a limb and say that it truly was the safest place to be.

"Princess?"

"Hm?" She glanced up at him, her gaze reflecting confusion when he continued staring at her, not saying a word. "What is it, Train?"

Train sighed heavily, but not with discontent. It was a sigh of contentment. "Thanks…for…"

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He cursed his tongue for chickening out on him at the last moment, but knew that he didn't have to tell her anyway. His thoughts were confirmed when Eve smiled up at him, burying her face in the junction between his shoulder and neck.

"You're welcome."

As expected, Eve was asleep within minutes. Train allowed his body to adjust to the unfamiliar feeling of the touch of her body against his before drifting off, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

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"What the hell-?!"

Train ignored him. Or at least, he attempted very much to ignore the elderly sweeper screaming in his ear. He would have rolled over, had he not realized that doing so would wake his girlfriend that was miraculously still asleep in his arms.

Shit. That's what he was screaming about.

"Train, get your ass up and explain what the hell is going on!" Sven roared again and Train groaned, resisting the urge to beat the hell out of the older man.

"Sven, would it kill you to shut the fuck up?!" He snapped irritably, snapping one eye open to glare at his partner. "I haven't slept well in months and was finally getting a nice nap in before you ruined it! Besides, if you keep this up, you'll wake Eve!"

The green haired man shut up instantly, although his eyes did not drop the deadly glare that he'd been sending. As though awakened by her name, said blonde woman suddenly blinked tiredly up at Train, still too groggy to realize what was going on.

"Hm---Train, what's wrong?"

"Eve!" She jumped, slightly startled by Sven's voice. She immediately seemed to regain her senses and turned to stare at him in confusion.

"Told you that he was going to kill us."

Eve sent a smoldering glare his way, clearly telling him that he wasn't helping the matter one bit. Sven continued glancing back and forth between them in confusion.

"Sven, don't freak out when I say this but…Train's my boyfriend."

And that would be about the time that Sven fainted.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Did you have to be so blunt?" Train asked a few minutes later, after dragging Sven back to his room and settling him in a comfortable position on his bed, although he was pretty tempted to do something to piss him off as payback.

They stood in the kitchen while Eve worked absently at the stove, making sure that the French Toast that she was whipping up was indeed edible.

"We would have explained it to him eventually. It was inevitable, so I merely decided to take the easiest approach."

Train shook his head in exasperation, walking across the room to grab a milk bottle from the fridge before returning to her side. "Well, I sure as hell ain't draggin' him back up there, so next time, be a little gentler with your words, Princess."

"Whatever happened to 'My Princess'?" Eve questioned absently, flipping the pieces of bread over in the pan to reveal two slabs of golden brown. The smell of egg wafted toward her nose and she inhaled deeply, feeling her stomach rumble in hunger.

Train paused in sipping his drink, bringing his hand down so that he could eye her properly.

Her hair was still messed up from earlier, because she hadn't bothered to brush it yet. She looked tired, but happy nonetheless. Thinking back to the times before, when she was hesitant to show any form of affection toward him, Train was glad that she'd outgrown it.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you liked it when I called you that." Train said after a moment, gulping down some more of his milk before wiping his mouth and finishing the thought. "Do you want me to call you that more often?"

Eve blushed lightly, using the spatula in her hands to flip the two pieces of bread onto a plate next to her. "Well…" She contemplated out loud as she spread some butter on the bread and then poured some syrup over the top. "I…really do like it. It makes me feel…important to you."

She turned to hand Train the plate, but he raised his hand to stop her, grabbing the plate out of her hands and setting it on the counter. Then, he moved forward to wrap his arms gingerly around her waist, nuzzling her forehead happily.

"You _are _important to me, _my _Princess."

Eve couldn't fight down the shiver that racked through her body at his possessive words, and absently leaned closer to him, despite common tense poking her in the forehead to remind her that the stove was still on and that she really –should- be cooking their breakfast.

"I…know." She said after a moment, although still feeling a bit overwhelmed. Whether he realized it or not, Train Heartnet was indeed intoxicating. His scent was comforting…and alluring. A mixture of milk, the outdoors, a manly musk, and…

Blood.

"_I smell blood on your hands."_

Despite the memory rolling through her head, she smiled. She couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like had she not met Train. Would Sven still have saved her? Would she have met him eventually down the line?

Would he be the same person that he is now…?

Forcing those thoughts from her mind, Eve lightly pushed away from him and turned back to the stove, throwing two pieces of egg covered bread into the pan for herself. "You'd better eat that before it gets cold."

"If you insist." Train teased, grabbing his plate and bottle of milk and stalking off into the living room.

"We have a kitchen table for a reason, you know." Eve pointed out a few minutes later when she walked out of the kitchen with her own plate in hand and joined him on the couch. As expected, both his plate and milk bottle were already empty. Food didn't survive long in front of Train.

"Bah, come on Princess, where's your sense of adventure?" He said after a moment, grabbing the remote to switch on the television.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I don't see the adventure in eating on the sofa instead of the table." Eve replied after a moment, somewhat reverting back to her old self. She did after all, still love to badmouth Train. It was simply too fun to give up.

"That's because you need to open your eyes a bit more and take in what's around you." Train pointed out after a moment, settling down in a comfortable position. "Sven will probably wake up soon."

Eve sighed at the thought of her adoptive father, who was sure to have another fit when he awoke. Honestly, he had always been a little over dramatic.

She started when out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Train doing his best to hold back a wide yawn behind his hands. Her eyes immediately softened at the sight, realization suddenly hitting her.

Of _course _he was still exhausted. It had been foolish of her to think that he'd been well rested after a few hours on the couch. In fact, he probably would still have been sleeping were it not for Sven and his overprotective fatherly instincts.

Despite her love for her adoptive father, Eve couldn't quell the irritation that was rising up within her. Sven really could get annoying sometimes. She wasn't some little girl that he needed to watch over. She was older now and had every right to make her own choices.

And she wanted to be with Train. Nothing that Sven said was going to get her to change her mind.

"Train, why don't we nap again? Maybe we can sleep for an hour or so before Sven wakes up."

He glanced up at her, his eyes widening in surprise. "Princess…?"

"You're still tired." Eve pointed out after a moment, finally finishing off the last of her breakfast. "I'm not stupid, nor am I blind."

"Sorry…I wasn't trying to say that you were…I was just…"

"Hoping that I wouldn't notice?" She offered after a moment, her irritation growing stronger when she noticed him wince slightly in response, confirming her suspicions.

"Train…" Eve sighed in exasperation, making sure that she didn't hide her aggravation for her voice.

"Don't get mad, I just…didn't want to worry you, that's all." Train smiled up at her, his eyes reflecting everything that he was feeling. "Besides, I think that I'd rather stay up now."

"Why?" She inquired, clearly confused as to why he wouldn't take the chance to sleep some more.

"Well, because then I can go out and capture a bounty, as an excuse to get out of the house, so Sven won't murder me alive." He'd said with such a happy expression that Eve had to fight every urge within her that told her to laugh.

"So, what exactly happened with you and Creed…?" Eve finally voiced once she regained her composure. She'd been meaning to ask him for a while now, but had never gotten to it.

"Well…it's pretty funny how it happened, actually." Train said after a moment. "I ran into Echidna on the street one day, which ended up with me getting invited to dinner. I was a little…reluctant to go, but I gave in eventually since she insisted that 'Creed would just love it if I dropped by' and sure enough…I thought he was going to tear me in half when he hugged me…it was a little awkward…"

"I can only imagine." Eve replied after a moment, once again trying not to laugh as she imagined Creed enthusiastically glomping Train. "What happened then?"

"Well, we talked a bit and I realized that he really had changed. It was strange, having a conversation with him, but we eventually settled everything…although it's still a little weird…" Train sighed, his gaze drifting toward the television again.

"Maybe you should try to get a little closer, you know, so you're actually friends." Eve offered after a few moments, finally letting a small giggle escape when Train winced at the thought.

"Man, do I have to?"

"It would be nice. He really does care about you a lot, despite having twisted it a bit before." Eve pointed out, remembering the warmth that had shone in the silver haired man's eyes when he looked at Train back when he'd been recovering on the couch.

"…Fine." Train relented, feeling it better to not argue with Eve. When her mind was made up, it really was better to refrain from conflict. "Well, I'm going to go and see if I can find a bounty. Can you handle Sven on your own?"

"I'll be fine." Eve reassured him, dropping the last of her dignity to the floor as she leaned over to kiss him gently on the cheek before waving him along. "Don't come back without some cash, you hear?"

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes a bit and moved for the door, already feeling his veins aching for the fight that was to come.

"Oh and Train…be careful."

He smiled to himself as he left the house, his voice drifting back to her on the wind.

"Sure thing, Princess!"

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**Well, the lemon is in the next chapter. XD I know some of you must be thinking that it's too early…but I simply cannot contain the urge. Besides, I really would like to get this fanfic done soon. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to leave a review before you exit. :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat in any way, shape, or form. I am merely completely obsessed with this amazing series, this pairing, and…Train. XD I honestly have no life.**

**Well, while I'm waiting for all these videos to download I guess that I can update this. =D Thank you ALL for these amazing reviews! I am so surprised at the amount of reviews I've gotten. I had never thought that anyone would like this story…but I'm glad that I was wrong. I'll have to put another TrainEve story on my list soon, although my next Black Cat story is an AU Creed x Train. I have a few TrainEve ideas to propose to you, though.**

**An AU where Eve moves to a new high school and ends up falling for her teacher Train…or…**

**One based on the cannon where Eve is left alone in a house with Train for a week. XD Sorry, but these are the only two ideas that I can think of right now for this pairing. Please let me know through your reviews what you think. Don't PM me, unless it's on KyoxSakiFan. Otherwise, I won't get it. Lol**

**Also, I have an important notice here.**

**THE LEMON IS IN THIS CHAPTER. Yes. Lemon. As in, SEX. Also, this is the first heterosexual sex scene that I've ever written (all my lemons so far have been yaoi, so this is going to be a little awkward). Anyway, if you don't like it, I'll put a line in front of it so you can skip it. But if you don't care, feel free to read it all. Just be warned. I really do describe. I love to describe. I describe EVERYTHING. Every touch, every reason why, etc. I don't leave out the details. Lol HEED MY WARNING. Enjoy!**

"_Let's make love, all night long, until all our strength is gone…" – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill_

Chapter 14: Let's Make Love

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The weeks went by, and before they knew it, they'd been officially together for two months. Train couldn't have been happier, even though sometimes Sven's constant threats got a little irritating. Honestly, Sven acted as if Train was going to rape the poor girl in her sleep! What the hell?!

"Train, would you like to come with me to the store?" Eve's voice startled Train out of his contemplative state. He made sure that his balance was carefully aligned before peeking over the edge of the roof, grinning happily down at the woman wearing a light blue summer dress below him.

"Sure, Princess!" He exclaimed, flipping his body cleanly over the side of the roof to land in front of Eve, who for the most part, didn't look too surprised.

"You're going to break a leg that way." She pointed out, glancing down when the wind ruffled her dress lightly, causing the bottom to float serenely in the wind.

"Nah, it'll take more than that puny distance to hurt me." Train scoffed, feeling rather sure of himself as usual. Of course, it could be argued that since he'd been fending for himself most of his life, he'd definitely learned enough skills to survive like this. However, despite knowing this, it still irked Eve to no end when she saw him take such chances.

"I'll remember that at your funeral." Eve responded, making absolutely sure that her voice was devoid of any sort of emotion. She then turned and made her way down the driveway, her hair flowing dramatically behind her.

"Hey! Princess!" Train complained, trailing quickly after his younger girlfriend. Eve smiled secretly, feeling a familiar feeling swell up within her chest. Warmth spread through her from all directions when he finally caught up with her and flashed her one of his award winning smiles before grabbing her hand and dragging her down the road.

"So, what are we getting?" Train questioned a few minutes later as they continued walking leisurely down the sidewalk.

"Sven wanted some bread and eggs, we're out of milk, and Sven is almost out of pain killers." Eve replied, doing her best to avoid glancing at the attractive ex-assassin walking next to her.

"I knew that he wasn't feeling as well as he was letting on." Train commented, sighing heavily in exasperation. Sven had gotten his casts off a while ago, but the doctor had prescribed him the painkillers for several more months. Sven had tried to fool his partners into thinking that he was all right, but it was obvious that he still experienced pain every now and then.

"He's a lot like you." Eve spoke hesitantly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. His eyes ghosted over for a few seconds, before a soft smile broke out on his face.

"I guess, but I've got something that he'll never have." Train boasted, crossing his arms absently over his chest.

"And what would that be?" Eve questioned, wondering silently why she was playing along with Train's little game.

"You." Train winked at her knowingly when a small blush spread across her cheeks.

"Train, that was cliché."

"Yeah, but it made you blush."

"Just shut up."

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Whistling a foreign song under his breath, Train moved quickly forward to hold the door ajar for Eve, who glanced at him gratefully as she entered the house. The bag that held their purchases hung from her hands.

"Sven, we're back!" Eve called as she entered the kitchen and set the bag on the counter, only to be greeted with silence. "Sven?"

"You're kiddin' me, where the hell could he have gone?" Train grumbled to himself, scanning the room as if expecting Sven to leap out of a corner and do the limbo, but no such thing happened. Instead, Train's honey eyes fell across a note posted to the fridge.

Eve followed his gaze and snatched the note off the fridge, reading it out loud as she scanned it.

"Eve and Train, I got some news that there is a bounty in the city tonight. I decided to track him down. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"So, he sent us out to the damn store only to leave while we're gone?!" Train growled, "THOSE PAINKILLERS WERE EXPENSIVE!"

Eve sighed, although she truly wasn't all that upset. Sven could take care of himself, she knew that much. Besides, now they could finally have some alone time without her adoptive father constantly butting his nose in.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Eve inquired, watching as Train immediately went for a bottle of milk.

"We could watch a movie or somethin'." Train commented, popping the lid off his bottle and chugging it down within seconds. "Or we could go for a walk."

"I think I'd rather stay in the house." Eve replied, running a hand through her blonde locks that had fallen across her shoulder. "And I don't think we own any good movies that we haven't seen a thousand times over…"

"Well now, someone's picky today." Train smirked, earning a clearly less than amused glance from his girlfriend. "Besides, what else is there to do?"

"We could take a nap…or I could read a book and you could go do something else…?" Eve suggested, watching with amusement as a look of sheer horror crossed Train's face.

"We're finally getting time to be alone together and you want me to go somewhere else?!" He exclaimed, frowning when Eve laughed openly at the expression on his face. "What?!"

"Wow…that was…" Eve struggled to regain her composure, only to fail miserably. It was actually a little comforting that she could show this side to him now.

"I've got an idea. How 'bout we just sit on the couch and talk?" Train suggested, already making his way to the living room.

"Hey, don't just decide these things by yourself!" Eve scolded before shaking her head in exasperation, a small smile working itself onto her face. Fighting down the urge to laugh at him again, Eve followed him into the living room.

Train had already made himself comfortable on the couch; he was snuggled into the cushions with his legs draped over the edge on the other side, as he usually was whenever he lies there.

"Doesn't that ever get uncomfortable?" Eve asked as she snuggled up next to him, resting her head comfortably on his chest. Train chuckled at her actions.

"Not really, especially not when you join me." Eve blushed.

"Pervert."

"Aw, come on Princess, don't be like that."

"Then don't make perverted comments."

"I didn't intend for it to be perverted. I was being honest." Eve blinked in surprise, leaning back enough to look into his eyes.

"Train…?"

"I…" He stopped for a moment, trying to search for the right words to say before deciding that the direct approach was best. "I really love you, you know…"

To say that Eve was astounded was beyond an understatement. She was struck completely speechless for several moments, before she finally gained control over her traitorous mouth, only to manage a stuttering reply. "T-Train…I…I love you too…"

He smiled gently up at her, his eyes shining with the most genuine happiness she'd ever seen him sport. He looked happy enough to burst and Eve could honestly admit that she felt the same way.

Suddenly, a feeling arose in his throat…an _urge _that was so desperate he just couldn't ignore it. Besides, it seemed like the right time for it anyway.

Gently so as not to startle her, Train wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to his body, absently breathing in the scent of her. It was unique and beautiful, but also…exciting.

He caressed her face tenderly with his fingertips before pulling her down into a chaste kiss, his eyes locking with hers when they pulled back.

He'd never felt anything like this before. It wasn't like anything he'd ever felt for Saya. Sure, he'd loved her, but not like _this_. The desperate need to be with her, to hold her; to kiss her and make love to her…he hadn't felt that.

God knows he was feeling it now.

"I need you…" Train whispered after a moment, watching with amusement as her eyes widened considerably before softening in understanding, nervousness swimming around in her ruby orbs.

"…Here?"

Train blinked, realizing that Eve really did have a valid point. It wouldn't be a surprise if Sven were to suddenly come home hours before he was supposed to, or if he sent someone to check on them. If they were on the couch, then they were an open book.

"You're right…why don't you go wait in my room, I'll be there in a second." Train smiled at her and nuzzled her cheek affectionately, earning a contented sigh from the woman in his arms.

"Okay, just don't be too long." Eve smiled back at him and hurried up the stairs, her happiness evident as she skipped merrily up the old steps.

Train chuckled with amusement before adopting a nervous expression, realizing absently that his heart was racing faster than he ever remembered it to have done.

"I can't believe it…. We're going to…" He gulped, feeling his stomach flutter why anticipation. He wanted this. He'd wanted it for a long time, but was she truly ready? Was she really accepting him for everything that he was…?

'_This will be the final test.' _Train realized, a soft smile crossing his face once more. _'If we do this…it'll help me move on.'_

With this in mind, he headed up the stairs.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**LEMON WARNING. DON'T READ THIS PART IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.**

Eve's mind was _reeling._

"This is really happening…" She whispered to herself, finding comfort in hearing her own voice. She was scared, but pleased at the same time. Her first time…no, _their _first time…

'_It's probably going to be really awkward…' _She was unable to contain the smile at the thought. They would probably be a stuttering mess. First times weren't necessarily perfect after all.

"E-Eve?"

Said girl glanced up from her position on Train's bed, smiling to herself when she spotted the fidgeting and nervous Train in the doorway. "Yes, Train?"

"Um…" He was really flustered, that much was easily readable. His cheeks were a flaming scarlet color, and Eve absently committed the image to memory.

"I wasn't sure whether or not you wanted to use…well…protection, but I have some if you want…I mean, if you don't want to risk getting pregnant-"

"No protection." Eve stated simply, watching with amusement as Train's expression turned to shock. "Train, I would love to have your child. It might be a little hard at first…but we'll make it and we can always ask Rinslet for help financially if we need to."

Train continued to stare at her in shock for a few moments, before his expression softened and he sent her a loving look underlined with a sense of longing. He leaned back against the door until it closed all the way and locked it.

Eve was unable to contain the shiver that racked through her body when she heard the lock click. This was it.

She started for a moment when his arms wrapped tightly around her, having not heard his silent approach. Almost immediately however, she relaxed in his embrace and leaned up so their noses were touching. Her heart sped up in her chest when she felt his warm breathing across her lips, arising the desire to feel the sensation of his mouth dancing across hers again.

As if reading her mind, Train bent down and caressed her lips with his own gently, before swooping back in and capturing her lips completely.

Eve gasped and allowed her mouth to slip open a little when he licked her lips hesitantly, allowing him entrance.

They'd kissed several times, but only a few precious times had either of them initiated a deeper kiss. It was special to both of them and neither wanted to waste the moment. Eve clung to Train with every ounce of power that she possessed, moaning softly in pleasure when he caressed her tongue with his, coaxing it into a sinful dance.

Suddenly, Eve realized that while he had been kissing her, Train's hands had left her shoulders and begun exploring what was beneath them. His hands were rough from all the years he'd spent fighting to survive, but his touch was so gentle…so tender that Eve was reminded of the sensation of a butterfly fluttering across her fingertips.

She gasped when he pulled back, trying to recapture the breath that he'd so easily taken away. She was startled when he shuddered against her, and then she realized that she'd breathed across his neck, no doubt causing a pleasurable reaction.

Train raised his amazing honey eyes to lock with hers for a moment, his eyes swelling with emotion, love, and…

_Lust. _A deep passion. A passion for her.

He was silently asking her for permission to do what he wanted to so desperately.

Eve smiled at him, answering his silent question with a silent response. A promise flickered in his eyes, a promise that Eve would hold on to with all her might.

She shivered at the feeling of the fabric of her dress sliding down her arms as it fell down to her hips, exposing her cleavage to his hungry eyes. Despite feeling a little self-conscious, Eve forced her hands to grasp onto his shirt and stay there.

His breath ghosted over her neck and Eve swallowed harshly, feeling her heart beat where she wasn't supposed to. It was as if a pulse that had been long dormant had sprung to life within her, igniting her core with a pleasurable fire that burned through her veins. She trembled when he nuzzled her neck, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses there, slowly moving downward as he did so. Soon, he reached the frilly lace of her bra, which he easily slid off her shoulders after he managed to unhook the back with his shaky hands.

She buried her face in his neck, feeling her face burn with an embarrassed fire. She didn't want to watch him look at her.

"You're beautiful, _my _Princess." Train suddenly shattered the silence, smiling down at her when she raised her eyes to meet his, her cheeks still aflame with color. "Here…"

Making sure that she was watching, Train unbuttoned his shirt and vest and tossed it to the floor, revealing the creamy skin that had been hiding beneath his shirt.

Eve's breath immediately hitched in her throat as she was suddenly overcome with the urge to run her fingers across that chest, to touch him, caress him…

He jumped in shock when she suddenly threw herself into his lap, allowing her desire to consume her. Her fingertips traced every near faded scar on his chest and she smiled when he shuddered at the feeling of her fingers tracing the most recent scar.

A large jagged line right across where his heart was.

He forced himself to keep down the moan that threatened to escape when she kissed it gently, as if she was aiming for his heart itself.

Cradling her in his arms, he finally allowed his hands to reach up and cup her breasts, watching with amusement when she squirmed a little in his lap, trying to reduce to pressure building between her legs.

Train kissed each one, finding that he loved the way she allowed her head to fall back as a subtle whimper escaped her lips. She gasped when he kissed her stomach and trailed downward, until he could go no further, his progress delayed by the rest of the dress that pooled around her legs.

He pushed her gently back against the mattress and slowly pulled the fabric down her legs. As if somehow realizing that she felt exposed, he deposited his pants as well, so they matched, knowing this would make her more comfortable.

The only thing that separated them was the thin pink panties that hugged her hips, and the boxers that clung to his.

Eve trembled when he massaged her legs until he reached the spot that had previously been forbidden. She felt his shaky breath ghost over the fabric of her panties and gasped, trembling more when she realized that the thin piece of clothing wasn't minimizing the sensation. If anything, it was magnifying it.

She gasped aloud and shuddered violently when he rubbed her through the fabric, feeling the burning need throb through her once more.

"Please Train…" She breathed, pulling him down closer to her from his position above her body. He was merely centimeters from completely lying on top of her now and she could clearly feel his length press against her core from within the barriers separating them.

He gasped and trembled above her when she insistently rubbed them together, loving the way the friction between them felt. It was the most amazing sensation that had ever rocked through her. Her grip on him tightened.

"I want you inside of me…now…" She whispered in his ear, feeling his body tense for a second as he absorbed this, before relaxing against her once more.

He climbed off of her and shook off his boxers as if he was hesitant to do so, but stopped her before she could tear her panties off in her haste.

"Wait, I want to do it." Train suddenly spoke, his voice husky and demanding. Unable to fight against him, Eve allowed her body to relax against the sheets as his fingers gripped the rim of her panties and pulled them down to her ankles before discarding them onto the floor.

She felt her cheeks turn even redder when he crawled up between her legs and she finally was allowed to see him fully. It was embarrassing…but she wanted to…touch it…

"We have plenty of time for that some other time, Princess." He smirked down at her in amusement when she pouted up at him, the thought that maybe he really could read her thoughts flying through her mind once more.

"Whatever, just…" She drew a shaky breath when she felt him press against her core, and it pulsed in response, as if beckoning him inside.

"It's going to hurt…" Train warned, his eyes reflecting sincere concern. Eve inhaled shakily one more time before wrapping her legs around his waist.

"I know…but I'll make it." Eve forced herself to keep a straight face even though her heart was fluttering with fear. What if the pain was too unbearable…? What if something terrible happened?

Was it worth the pain to be with Train like this?

A small smile spread across her lips.

It was.

He was slow entering her, allowing her to accommodate to his size. She was in pain; he knew she was. However, she was doing a pretty damn good job at keeping a straight face.

Until he swiftly broke her barrier that is.

"Ah, Train!" He leaned down to kiss the tears from her cheeks, trying desperately to ignore the way her body trembling around him was making him feel.

"Shush. It's okay." He wanted more. So badly. He wanted it now, but he knew that he had to wait for her.

"O-Okay." Train sighed in relief, having almost been trembling in anticipation. Eve rolled her eyes back in pleasure as he thrust into her. She tightened her legs hold around him, unintentionally squeezing him the process.

He shuddered at the sensation, gasping in a silent scream. "D-Damnit Eve, I can't hold back, I'm sorry!"

She gasped when he suddenly sped up to the point where she could no longer tell one thrust from the last one.

Then, he brushed against something inside her, which sent an explosion of sensations racing through her body and she screamed and bucked up into the curve of his body, allowing him to sink deeper inside of her.

"T-there, Train!"

He didn't respond, but started to make a point to hit that same spot over and over until Eve's entire body was quaking from the intensity of the pleasure it caused.

A heat was pooling in her stomach and she could feel her muscles begin to tighten and even though she had never experienced it before, she knew that she was close.

She pulled him even closer if that was physically possible, and buried her face in Train's neck, clutching him so desperately that she was afraid to break his back. "So close…Train, so close!"

"I-I know." He gasped in response, suddenly feeling her muscles clench around him. She let out a strangled stream and held him as tight as he possibly could.

"Gah, Eve!"

"Ah…" She could do nothing but hold him close when he exploded inside of her. They lay that way for about a minute, before Train let out a full body shudder and collapsed on top of her.

Eve sighed in contentment, having finally come down from the pleasurable haven Train had sent her spiraling into. Suddenly noticing a dull throb between her legs, Eve winced, nudging him until she got his attention. "Train, can you move please, it hurts."

"Y-yeah, sorry." She sighed in relief when he pulled out of her, shaking when she felt a warm liquid slide down her legs.

"This is why I wanted to use my room." Train suddenly spoke, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly to his chest. She glanced at him in confusion before glancing down at her legs, only to gasp in shock.

Blood.

"All virgins bleed, Princess. I didn't want to stain your comforter." Train whispered in her ear tenderly, kissing her temple lightly when she started to tremble slightly in fear. "Princess?"

"Is that why it hurts?" Eve questioned, almost flinching when she realized how timid and scared she must have sounded. Train didn't tease her, but merely smiled warmly down at her.

"Yeah. Don't worry. It shouldn't last long. How about you jump in the shower while I change the sheets?" Train said, setting her gently down on her feet. "I'll jump in after you."

"Okay." She took one last loving look at him before locking herself within the bathroom, standing against the door for a few minutes as she tried to absorb everything that had just transpired.

'_We made love…we really made love.' _An almost giddy smile broke across her face, but she broke out of her happy daze when she felt the warm blood trail down her leg once more.

"Shit…" She'd almost forgotten about the bleeding. Hurriedly rushing into the shower so as to avoid staining Train's floor, Eve allowed her body to relax only when she felt the hot spray fall across her shoulders and soak her hair.

'_That was…amazing, Train.'_

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**That was the absolute first heterosexual lemon I've ever written. O.O I'm a bit nervous as to what you think of it, but…I'll post it anyway. (The one thing I hate about lemons…is the nervousness you feel when you post them, knowing that someone is reading a sex scene that you wrote.)**

**Please drop a review when you leave. Thanks…**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat. This fanfiction is purely fanmade and will stay that way. ^^**

**Okay, so…I'm estimating about 5 chapters left of this. ^^ I'm glad you all liked the lemon so much! I feel so incredibly proud of myself! Lol I never expected anyone to like it. **

**Also, I'm going to try and concentrate more on my writing. So, hopefully this will get faster updates. And then I can start getting some of these other stories off of my computer and onto the site (once I finish them, so I have a set uploading time). Although…I did try that with my Gx fanfiction…it was fail though. Lol I was just yearning for feedback so badly that I needed to post it. Oh well. I managed to finish the Warriors fanfiction that I was working on beside this one, so I'm pretty pleased with myself. Seriously, it's been on this site for a whole damn year. I'm glad it's done and over with, even if I did end it with a tragic death. XD Don't worry, there won't be any deaths in this story.**

**So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please keep on reviewing! I love feedback! =D**

_"Good morning beautiful, how was your night?" –Steve Holy_

Chapter 15: Mornin' Beautiful

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It was impossible to describe what she was feeling. As she lay there caught between consciousness and unconsciousness, Eve allowed the happiness to seep through her skin and flow through every particle of her body. If she hadn't known better, she would have claimed that she was glowing.

Even though Eve's eyes were still closed, she could feel Train's arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her close to his chest. She could also feel his heart beating steadily against her ear, which almost lulled her back into the confines of sleep. However, Eve forced herself to ignore the instead drowsiness that washed over her and finally blinked open her beautiful ruby eyes.

He was surprisingly still asleep. She hadn't really expected Train to sleep this long, even if only because he was worrying about Sven's reaction if he happened to come across them like this. Hell, the thought of it made _her _shiver. If it scared her that much, she couldn't begin to imagine how nervous Train might be.

A small, content smile spread across her face when Train snuggled closer to her in his sleep. "Princess…"

Her smile only grew wider with the knowledge that he was dreaming about her. It was about _her, _not Saya.

The thought was enough to make her even happier.

"Eve! Train! I'm home!" Eve bolted upright in an instant upon hearing Sven's voice and she inwardly cursed, wishing that she would have changed into something less revealing when they finally had decided to go to sleep. As it was, she was wearing one of her more revealing nightgowns. She'd have to sneak into her room and change before Sven found her.

Forcing herself to remain calm, Eve gently took hold of Train's strong arms and placed them around his pillow, to which he instantly snuggled up to, muttering something about who would get the last slice of pizza.

Eve shook her head in exasperation and carefully eased off the bed, knowing full well that Train was a light sleeper. She winced when she was reminded of the tenderness between her legs, but opted to ignore it for the moment. She'd have to talk to Train about some possible remedies later when they had a chance to be alone.

Quietly, Eve slipped out of Train's room and dashed over to hers, which thankfully wasn't too far away. Making sure to close her door quietly so as to avoid alerting her adoptive father of her awareness, Eve sped over to her desk and hurriedly started pulling random clothes out. After surveying what she'd 'chosen' and deciding that it was good enough to leave the room in, Eve changed and flew down the stairs to meet Sven.

The elderly man was in the kitchen when she found him. To her surprise, he was busy putting groceries away. He turned when she entered the kitchen and smiled widely at her, a satisfied twinkle in his eyes. "I managed to make a little extra money, so I bought us some good food. I bet it'll make Train happy."

"That man _does _love his food." Eve sighed happily, a smile spreading across her face. She was so relieved that they hadn't been found out. Of course, there was the very possible chance that she was pregnant, but she could ignore that for the moment. If that day came, she would happily stride up to Sven and give him the gory details. However, she'd rather avoid it until then. What Sven didn't know wouldn't kill him.

"It's a little late for breakfast, but would you like to make some brunch together?" Sven offered. Puzzled, Eve glanced at the clock only clench her fists nervously when she noticed that it was nearly noon. Had they really been that exhausted to sleep half the day away?

"S-sure…" Eve silently cursed her traitorous mouth for stuttering. The last thing she needed was for Sven to get suspicious and from the confused look on his face that was exactly what was happening.

"Are you okay, Eve? Do you have a fever?" Eve flushed nervously when he moved to check her forehead, silently cursing her nervousness. "Come to think of it, you do feel pretty warm…"

"She's fine, Sven. She's not a little kid anymore and can take care of herself, so stop trying to baby her all the time. I'm sure she doesn't appreciate it." Eve sighed in relief when Sven's hand left her forehead and glanced at Train in appreciation as he entered the kitchen, stretching tiredly.

"Train…"

He finished off his stretches by snapping his neck to the side, grunting in satisfaction when he heard a satisfying crack. Then, as if hearing her for the first time, he turned to look at her, flashing her a wide smile. "Mornin'. How's my Princess doing this morning?"

Eve couldn't stop the small flush that fell across her cheeks when Train strode across the kitchen and bent down to plant a chaste kiss on her delicate lips, moving to cradle her in his arms.

Sven glared at him from across the kitchen, but either Train was so oblivious that he didn't feel the awkward atmosphere or he was simply choosing to ignore it. Eve was opting for the latter because although Train could be an idiot sometimes, observing his surroundings definitely wasn't one of those times. He'd proven this time and time again. Hell, he could tell when she was going to PMS an entire week before it happened! She still couldn't figure out how he did that…She'd have to question him about it later…

"I'm doing fine…" Eve muttered, embarrassment tugging at her fingertips. However, she quickly shook it off and wrapped her arms around Train's neck with determination. She made sure to glance at Sven defiantly before reaching up to kiss him, making sure that it lasted a little longer this time. Sven gaped at her before turning around completely to dig through the cabinets. Eve had to force down the giggle that bubbled up in her chest, especially when she felt Train smirk against her lips, obviously satisfied with Sven's reaction.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Train questioned when Eve released him, moving toward the fridge to chug his morning bottle of milk.

"Normally, I would have said pancakes. But since you were a lazy ass and slept in past what normal people do, I have to work extra hard to make something else." Sven snapped, glaring at Train intensely.

"Bah, there's nothing wrong with it. You should try it sometime, so you wouldn't sound like you had a stick up your half the time."

Eve couldn't help but laugh hysterically at the look on Sven's face. If she were a bit less mature, she probably would have yelled something on the lines of, "PWNED!" As it was however, it was far beyond Eve to do something this silly, even if she was learning to open up a bit. She didn't have to worry though, because Train instantly took her place.

"What's wrong, Sven? Your tiny gentleman brain can't handle that you just got _owned_?" Train smirked widely in Eve's direction and winked discretely behind his glass of milk, to which Eve giggled. It was pretty funny to watch Train ruff Sven up a bit sometimes.

At the very least, everything seemed to be normal. They weren't found out…yet.

Eve was only dreading the day they were.

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**I know. Really short chapter. However, I realized that the rest that I have planned wouldn't fit properly with this chapter. XD Just be happy that you're getting an update.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own this anime for the last God damn time! **

**Okay, so sorry for the delay. I had my computer wiped due to an issue we were having, so I had to get my writing programs and stuff back. XD And then I just didn't feel like writing. Well, I'm bound and determined to get some writing done today since I don't have any homework, so I am going to work my ass off right now. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

_"Cause you're all I want…you're all I need! You're everything…"-Lifehouse_

Chapter 16: Everything

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A few weeks flew by in relative peace. Train was happy that they were entering their previous routine where they would all go hunt down the targets instead of one or two of them. Sven was finally feeling better and things were beginning to get back to normal.

That is, until Eve pulled him aside while Sven was out shopping.

"Um, is there something wrong, Princess?" Train questioned hesitantly, his sharp senses immediately noticing the hesitation upon her normally happy and somewhat passive face. Eve wasn't the type to openly ask him for help, even though they were dating. However, since she'd never really felt comfortable asking him for help, Train had just grown to accept this as who she was. So seeing her fidgeting nervously in front of him was slightly unnerving.

"Do you…think that you can do me a favor, Train? It's really important!" She added after a second, determination leaking into her voice. Train blinked at her in confusion, leaning back against the wall in preparation for their conversation.

"Um…okay, what?" Train almost smacked himself. Everybody knew that accepting the favor before actually knowing what it contained was one of the biggest mistakes a man could make, especially when dealing with his girlfriend.

"I…well, it's been three weeks…so, I can find out if I'm pregnant or not now…" Eve stuttered, her cheeks turning a bright shade of rosy red in embarrassment. Despite his resolve not to, Train felt his cheeks warming up a bit too. Sure, he had been fully prepared to deal with this when Eve told him that she didn't want protection, but Train was still quite awkward when dealing with these situations.

"Y-yeah, so what?" Train hesitantly asked, a thick feeling of dread settling within his stomach. He gulped nervously, still trying to fight down the blush that coated his cheeks. He couldn't help it; his girlfriend was going into unknown territories!

"Well…normally I would do this myself to save me the embarrassment, but I'm supposed to wait here for Sven…nor do I think that I can manage it without him suspecting anything." Eve admitted, a flash of annoyance flickering across her eyes. "Train, do you think that you can run to the store and get me a few pregnancy tests?"

Train was glad that he had opted finish his milk before answering Eve's inquiry, because he surely would have spit it out if he was still drinking it. His cheeks, which had finally sunk back down to their normal complexion, began to heat up again. _'Damnit, I just stopped blushing!'_

"Um…s-sure." Train nearly choked on his words, unable to tell her no but not wanting to say yes either. However, when Eve's eyes lit up in instant relief, guilt settled in his stomach for nearly telling her no.

"Thank you so much, Train! Do you think that you can go right away? You should be able to sneak in unnoticed when Sven takes me to the library! He wanted to go with me this time…although he wouldn't tell me why…"

"Okay…" Train sighed, effectively covering up his annoyance from his blonde girlfriend. Eve smiled warmly at him in gratitude and reached up to plant a chaste kiss on his still rosy cheek before turning abruptly to run up to her room.

"I'll talk to you later, then! I have to go and get ready to meet Sven!"

Train waited until Eve was out of earshot before slumping backward onto the wall, his hands immediately reaching up to rub his temples in annoyance. He definitely wasn't looking forward to this. At least he could count his blessings that he would have to go to the drug store to get what he wanted, which meant that Train had barely any chances of randomly running into Sven at the market. That would be the single most humiliating day of Train's life; Sven catching him read handed buying pregnancy tests…

Not to mention that Sven would probably have him castrated, since he would either assume that Train was cheating on Eve, or that he'd gotten her pregnant. Now that he considered it, Train couldn't decide on the spot, which choice was worse?

Train managed to straighten his posture effectively just in time to hear Sven call from the kitchen. Putting on a mask of indifference, Train leisurely strolled into the kitchen.

"Sven, I'm going out for a little while. I'll see you later for dinner, okay? I'll drop by the bar to see if I can get another poster." Sven eyed him curiously for a moment with his one un-patched eye before nodding his approval, his hands already reaching up to light the cigarette that was in his mouth. Train wrinkled his nose as the rusty scent of smoke drifted his way.

"I hate those damn things, will you consider quitting already? I'd rather you not have a heart attack!" Train growled, coughing lightly when some of the arid stench got caught in his inhaled breath. He wasn't the only one that hated Sven's unhealthy habit; him and Eve had discussed several ways to get Sven to quit on many occasions.

"Suck it up." Sven snapped, puffing on his cigarette some more. "Eve, I'm home!"

"You know, maybe you should consider how Eve feels about it. 'Cause you know what? She hates it just as much as I do and you know how much she loves you. If you die from cancer or something, it'll devastate her." Train only stopped for a few seconds to observe the slightly stricken expression upon the elderly sweeper's face before turning and making his way out the door, his mind already preparing him for the situation at hand.

_'I better not see anyone I know, or I will never live this down…'_

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Train was pretty damn sure that somebody up above was out to get him. He was ready to sit in chains and swear in front of the entire Cronos counsel of elders that this was so. Either karma was finally catching up to him, or he'd done something pretty nasty in his past life to piss someone off up above, because there was simply _no bloody way _that this could be happening to him.

"What the _fuck_?!" Train gaped in astonishment, not even bothering to acknowledge the store clerk when she sent him a reprehending look for his foul language. "Creed, what the hell are you doing here?!"

To his extreme surprise, he had walked into the store only to find Creed in the exact aisle that he was heading for: the one with the pregnancy tests. At first, Train had opted that it was a stranger that just looked a lot like Creed, because there was no way in hell that the former assassin would ever be caught dead doing something like this.

Someone was definitely out to get Train.

"_Train?!" _Creed gaped at him in an equal amount of surprise, nearly dropping the box that he'd been reading when Train walked in. It was obvious by the way that his eyes kept drifting back and forth between Train, the box, and the shelf that he was debating throwing it back on it. However, all thoughts of doing this were shot down when Train appeared in front of him in two great strides and snatched the purple package right out of his pale hands.

"Train, what the hell?!" Creed instantly attempted to retrieve the box from the former number thirteen, but failed when Train turned, his eyes swiveling over the writing on the back.

"Ah, a pregnancy test. So tell me Romeo, whom did you knock up?" Train teased, turning to glance at Creed over his shoulder while waving the offending object back and forth in his face. To his great surprise, Creed flushed ever so slightly and snatched the box back from him, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"I am not a man whore, Train. If you must know, this is for Echidna…she might be expecting." Creed stated, glancing at the price tag on the box before placing it back on the shelf and carefully selecting another one.

"E-Echidna?! You mean…" Train stuttered, warning bells going off his in head. Then this meant…

"Yep! The child's mine. Wow Train, you're such a genius! You should've gone to medical school!" Creed stated sarcastically, nearly causing Train to fall over in exasperation.

"I was just teasing, ass hole! I didn't really want to know!" Train snapped, his cheeks still feeling like they were burning off. It was then that he remembered the real reason why he'd even bothered to set foot in the store in the first place. "Right…uh, did you find any good ones?"

Creed raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior before smirking in triumph. Train inwardly chanted curses to his self from another life who was no doubt, the cause of his recent distress, because there was no way in hell that Train had this much bad luck.

"Well Train, it seems that you're in here strictly on business, considering the dirty looks the clerk is giving you." Creed jerked his head in the direction of the woman who was leaning over the counter, her hard brown eyes still boring into the back of his head.

Laughing nervously, Train hurriedly tried to come up with some excuse, but to no avail. Finally, he succumbed to his fate and sighed, letting a defeated expression cross his face. "Eve wanted me to pick her up a pregnancy test because she was worried that Sven would find out…if she did it." He had been about to say 'about us', but then decided against it.

"Hm…so who is the lucky bed mate, Train? When's the wedding?" Creed teased, amusement flashing clearly across his face. Train outwardly seethed, erupting a small laugh from the silver haired man. Despite their somewhat bloody past together, Creed was more than glad to get the chance to be friends with the one of a kind man standing in front of him and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Train's forgiveness had been a shock in itself and Creed had inwardly vowed to never violate his trust ever again.

"Shut up! We don't even know if she's pregnant yet! That's why I'm in this damn store!" Train growled, resisting the urge to punch the other man. Getting into a fight in public wasn't the best way to go shopping.

"Sorry, Train! I just couldn't help it!" Creed laughed lightly for a moment, before straightening up, a serious expression crossing onto his face. "It would be yours though, wouldn't it Train?"

Train wanted to lie and tell Creed that it wasn't, but after debating it for a few seconds, decided that it may just be worth the extreme amount of teasing that he'd be forced to endure. "Y-yeah…"

Creed eyed him curiously for a few moments before turning nonchalantly back to the rows of pregnancy tests. Train blinked at him in surprise, having not expected this action above anything else.

"Um…Creed?"

Creed didn't respond. Instead, he started intently at the row before him for a few more seconds before reaching out to carefully pluck another box off the shelf, twirling it around in his hands once or twice before turning and tossing it to Train, who had probably only managed to catch it due to his amazing reflexes.

"Eh? Um…" Train held it up higher so that he could read the small print more clearly. After inspecting it for a few moments, Train decided that it was exactly what he came there for. "Wow…um…thanks, Creed."

"No problem, Train. Now, you'd better hurry back. I have to get going too. Echidna wants me home by five so we can go to the new restaurant on our block. She's wanted to go there for a few weeks now…so I finally let her have her way. Stubborn woman…"

"She's good for you, you know." Train pointed out, a grin slipping onto his face as he grabbed an exact copy of the box he held in his hands off the shelves, remembering that Eve had asked for more than one.

"I know." Creed grinned back at him before following him back up to the register, laughing when the clerk glared at Train again.

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Train finally arrived home after stopping by the bar to pick up a few criminal posters, selecting three that would keep them up to date for a few weeks. After slipping into the house, Train quietly made his way up the stairs, his eyes taking in the sleeping form of Sven as he passed the couch.

When he reached his room, he was surprised to find Eve waiting there for him. She glanced up after hearing the door creak open, sighing in relief when Train slipped in, shutting it softly behind him. Guiltily, Train glanced at the clock and noticed that he had indeed missed dinner. "I'm sorry that I took so long, Princess. I ran into Creed at the drug store…"

He had expected Eve to inquire as to why Creed was there, but to his surprise, she merely nodded enthusiastically and lept off of the windowsill to run up to him and throw her arms around his neck in a quick hug before retrieving the boxes from his waiting hands.

Train blinked, his eyes following her around the room as she began quickly reading the directions on the back of the box, her eyes scanning every word carefully. When she finished, she opened the box and let one test slip out and stuffed it in her pocket, making sure that her shirt covered the rest. "I'm going to go and take it now…"

"O-okay…?" He was unable to say any more, for Eve had hustled past him to run to the bathroom.

After a few minutes had gone past, Train opted to finish waiting on the bed and snuggled up to his covers. He'd been on the verge of falling into a nap state when Eve bustled back in, a disappointed look on her face.

"It's negative…" She sighed and Train turned when he felt the bed dip beside him, blinking up at her with confusion. Why was she so disappointed?

Suddenly, realization dawned on him. "You really wanted a baby, didn't you?"

Eve flushed guiltily, hesitantly allowing her gaze to meet his. Train gaped at her in astonishment for a few seconds before chuckling happily.

"W-what's so funny?" She questioned, glaring at him stubbornly.

"Princess, if you want one that bad, then you should've told me." He smiled at her warmly, moving to wrap his arms tightly around her waist. This action caused her to fall down into a laying position with him, her face inches from his.

Eve merely stared at him for a few moments, absorbing the feel of his arms around her. Then, she seemed to finally process what he said. "But…you were so nervous about it earlier…"

"Well, of _course _I'm nervous! Sven's going to kick my ass!" Train chuckled, snuggling into her shoulder, causing the blonde to flush slightly.

"Train…"

"Aw, don't be like that. You know, we could always try again!" Train grinned impishly up at her, laughing outright at the horrified expression on her face.

"_Train, _Sven is in the house!" She chided, squirming out of his grasp to cross her arms over her chest, the edges of a pout visible on her lips. "You're a pervert."

"I didn't mean right now, Princess." Train stated, a somewhat dreamy tone entering his voice. "I mean, when we get a chance. We still have that other test, so if it still says negative in a few days then we can always try again. If you want one that badly, then I'll give you one."

Eve turned to stare at him in shock. "T-Train…"

Train fumbled nervously with the fabric of his shirt for a few seconds, wondering if he should describe to her what he was feeling at the moment. After staring into her eyes for a few seconds, he finally relented. "Well…I'm not so sure how I really feel about it, but I'm willing to do my best for you. I don't know if I'll be a good father, but I want to be. So…"

Unable to contain the warm smile that slid across her features, Eve snuggled back into Train's arms once more. "Thank you so much, Train!"

He smiled at her and absently played with her hair, doing his best to fight down the anxiety that was pooling in his stomach. Boy… he would be in for it when Sven finds out…

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**Much longer chapter. Hope you enjoyed everyone! =D Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Black Cat, or anything infiltrated with it. This fanfic is a piece of purely fanmade material that I made of my own accord, for my own entertainment. If you're looking to sue someone, please go somewhere else.**

**I would like to address all of my reviewers in order to say, "Thank you," for reviewing because…well…this is the last chapter. XD I know I said before that it might be five chapters, but I decided that this was the best way to end it. So, this is sort of an epilogue type thing. I hope you like it! Keep in mind that this is three years in the future. In this, Train and Eve have already wed. (I considered writing out the wedding, but decided against it)**

**I'm so happy that this is done. I can't begin to express my gratitude to you all! When I started this, I hardly expected to get any support at all! =D You all have made me really happy! I hope to see you all soon! (It'll be a little bit before I write another TrainEve fanfic, though. Need to experiment with other pairings first).**

**Epilogue**

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Train sidestepped through the door to their current hideout, moving out of the way just in time to avoid being knocked over by his small attacker. He grinned enthusiastically down at the little boy that pouted up at him. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he really was his son…

Laughing out loud, Train stooped to pick up the pouting boy before shutting the door behind him. "Hey, squirt. Dad's home! Where's mom?"

"In the kwitchen." The little boy gurgled, waving his hands in the direction of the kitchen where sounds of pots hitting against each other could be heard. Good, that meant he wasn't late for dinner. Eve would kill him if he were late for dinner again after their fiftieth argument about it.

"Eve, I'm home!" Train called as he walked nonchalantly into the kitchen, catching site of his blonde-haired wife standing at the stove. A delicious smell wafted toward his nose, causing a small persistent rumble to course through Train's stomach. He grinned and set their son down at the table, ignoring his protests. "At least someone was happy to see me."

Eve whirled around and shook her wooden spoon at him, an irritated expression across her face. "_Excuse me, _but I was too busy trying to get your evening meal on the table. If you wish me to ignore your hunger and let you cook for yourself, please let me know and I'll allow you to do so."

"Damn, no need to be so harsh, woman," Train whined and then cried out in agony when his head was struck harshly by the wooden spoon. "OW!"

"What did I tell you about swearing in front of Lee?!" Eve snapped, her eyes darting to their small brown haired son that was sitting innocently at the table. Lee met her gaze with his bright ruby eyes for a few seconds before grinning impishly.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" He yelled, laughing out loud when Eve turned to glare at Train once more, her expression murderous.

"_Train!" _

Train held up his hands in defense, flinching when his wife towered above him angrily. "Hey now! You should hear some of the words that Sven has taught him!"

"There's a difference! You're the boy's _father! _He looks up to _you, _not his Grandpa!" Eve scolded and then started when the timer on the stove began beeping insistently. "Oh crap! The food!"

"Don't burn it now." Train chuckled when Eve huffed in irritation at his comment. Deciding that it would be better to avoid irritating Eve any more, Train walked out of the kitchen and proceeded to the top of the stairs where Sven's room was. He knocked a few times and then took it upon himself to simply walk in.

Sven was sitting at his windowsill, staring intently down at some of the neighborhood kids playing in the street. He looked up when Train entered.

"What's the report?"

"Well," Train whistled contently, kicking the door closed behind his back. "We need to switch headquarters soon; I've damn near swept the entire area within a fifteen mile radius."

Sven sighed, his brow twitching in irritation. "Please, Train, let me help-"

"Nope!" Train smirked when Sven flashed him an angry look. "You're retired! Therefore, you are not going back to work! You just worry about taking care of yourself and babysitting Lee while Eve and I do the work!"

"But I'm still young enough to-"

"Young and you don't belong in the same sentence, old man." Train smirked and dodged the shoe that was meant for his face. Man, this never got old!

"_I'm NOT an old man! I'm a gentleman!" _Sven yelled before grabbing the nearest chair and tossing that at Train's head as well. "Train, you cocky bastard!"

Train laughed and dodged the chair as well, hiding behind the side of the bed. "You still can't catch me, Mr. _Gentleman!"_

Sven glared at him once more before sighing heavily and slumping back against the windowsill, his hand covering his eyes, hiding his expression. Train blinked in confusion and left his hiding place, choosing to sit atop the bed instead.

"Is there something wrong, Sven?" He questioned uncertainly, wondering if he'd somehow really upset the retired sweeper.

"I should be asking you that. Train, you've been working your ass off and as much as I hate to admit it in front of you, I worry about you. You're my best friend and in several ways, I feel like you're my son. I hate seeing you doing all the work by yourself because Eve can't sweep as much as you can."

Train blinked as he took this in before smiling softly at the other man. "Thanks, man. But honestly, I'm doing fine. As much as I love Eve, I still need to let the adventurous part of me out or I'd go insane. That's why I haven't gotten a different job. A stray cat takes orders from no one and lives the way he wants. I'll probably sweep 'til I die."

"Of course, I should've known better." Sven huffed, although there was still a glimmer of worry visible. "Just promise not to overwork yourself, okay? Eve's been worried too. Maybe you should take a few days off."

"I'll talk to her about it, 'kay?" Train grinned cockily at Sven before turning and heading out the door, intending to be true to his word.

"He's really grown up," Sven murmured to himself, a fond smile crossing his face. "I suppose Eve could've done worse."

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**Yep, this is it. =D Hope I ended it right. I'll see you guys around! You'll see me again soon, I guarantee it!**


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